HOW  TO 


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•  W 


OW- 
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FRUITS 


•  MAUDE  - 

GRIDLEY 

PETERSON 


Man 


LOGY 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


BLACK  ALDER  (Ilex  verticillata) 


HOW   TO   KNOW   WILD 
FRUITS 

A  Gkiide  to  Plants  when  Not  in  Flower 
by  Means  of  Fruit  and  Leaf 

BY 

MAUDE   GRIDLEY   PETERSON 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  MARY  ELISABETH  HERBERT 


gotk 
THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 
1914 

All  ri.ohtf>  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  1905, 
BY  THE   MACM1LLAN   COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.      Published  May,  1905.      Reprinted 
December,  1908;  August,  1914. 


.  -forestry.  Mam  j^^. 


••  .  •• .  .•••  -  •;.  •  '. 


Nortoooti 

J.  S.  Gushing  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


ttyt  SpansrttelD  anfc  rtie  Cofoentri? 
from  totjicl)  it0  inspiration  camet  31  tooulD 
inscribe  tljisf  boofe* 


3434G3 


"On  the  motionless  branches  of  some  trees,  autumn 
berries  hung  like  clusters  of  coral-beads,  as  in  those 
fabled  orchards  where  the  fruits  were  jewels." 

—  DICKENS,  in  Martin  Chuzzlewit. 

u  A  wonderful  thing  is  a  seed  ; 

The  one  thing  deathless  forever  — " 
Forever  old  and  forever  new, 
Utterly  faithful  and  utterly  true  — 
Fickle  and  faithless  never." 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

ILLUSTRATIONS ,        .        .        .      ix 

INTRODUCTION xiii 

ADAPTATIONS   OF  FRUITS  AND   SEEDS  FOR   DISPERSAL 

AND  PROTECTION .        .   xvii 

DEFINITIONS        .........    xxv 

GUIDE  TO  PLANT  FAMILIES xxvi 

FAMILIES  AND  SPECIES xxxii 

DESCRIPTIONS  OF  SPECIES  : 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 3 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 155 

Blue 249 

Yellow 287 

Green 301 

White .307 

GLOSSARY 325 

ABBREVIATIONS  OF  AUTHORS'  NAMES      ....    329 

INDEX  OF  ENGLISH  NAMES 331 

INDEX  OF  LATIN  NAMES  ....  .  337 


vii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Black  Alder.     Ilex  verticillata      .  Frontispiece 

PAGE 

American  Yew.     Taxus  minor     ......  4 

Jack  in-the- Pulpit.     Ariscema  triphyllum     ....  6 

Wild  Spikenard.      Vagnera  racemosa 12 

False  Lily-of-the-Valley.     U  n't  folium  Canadense         .         .  15 

Clasping-leaved  Twisted  Stalk.     Streptopus  amplexifolius  .  17 

Ill-scented  Wake-robin.     Trillium  erectum  ....  22 

Laurel  Magnolia.     Magnolia  Virginiana     ....  27 
Red  Baneberry.     Actcea  rubra     .         .                  .         .         .32 

Common  Barberry.     Berberis  vulgaris         ....  35 

Spice  Bush.     Benzoin  Benzoin 39 

Hawthorn  Gooseberry.     Ribes  oxyacanthoides     ...  41 

Purple -flowering  Raspberry.     Rubus  odoratus     ...  46 

Dwarf  Raspberry.     Rubus  Americanus        ....  51 

Low  or  Pasture  Rose.     Rosa  humilis 60 

Sweetbrier.     Rosa  rubiginosa       ......  63 

American  Mountain  Ash.     Sorbus  A  mericana    ...  65 

Red  Chokeberry.     Aronia  arbutifolia           ....  67 

Juneberry.     Amelanchier  Canadensis  .         .  *        .70 

Scarlet  Thorn.     Cratcegus  coccinea      .....  76 

Wild  Yellow  or  Red  Plum.     Prunus  Americana         .         .  80 
Wild  Red  Cherry.     Prunus  Pennsylvania          .         .        .84 

Dwarf  Sumac.     Rhus  copallina    ......  88 

ix 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


Staghorn  Sumac.     Rhus  hirta 90 

American  Holly.     Ilex  opaca       ......  95 

Burning  Bush.     Euonymus  atropurpureus   ....  102 

Shrubby  or  Climbing  Bittersweet.     Celastrus  scandens      .  104 

Bunchberry.     Cornus  Canadensis        .....  109 

Flowering  Dogwood.     Cornus  florida          .         .         .         .111 

Spring  or  Creeping  Wintergreen.     Gaultheria  procumbens  115 

American  Cranberry.     Oxycoccus  macrocarpus    .         .         .  122 

Nightshade.     Solanum  Dulcamara       .....  126 

Matrimony  Vine.     Lycium  vulgare      .....  128 

Partridge  Berry.     Mitchella  repens 131 

Hobble  Bush.      Viburnum  alnifolium    .....  136 

Cranberry  Tree.     Viburnum  Opulus     .....  138 

Indian  Currant.     Symphoricarpos  Symphoricarpos       .         .  143 

Smooth-leaved  Honeysuckle.     Lonicera  dioica    .         .         .  147 

Trumpet  Honeysuckle.     Lonicera  sempervirens  .         .         .  149 

Hairy  Solomon's  Seal.     Polygonatum  bijlorum    .         .         .  158 

Smooth  Solomon's  Seal.     Polygonatum  commutatum   .         .  160 
Indian  Cucumber  Root.     Medeola  Virginiana    .        .         .162 

Carrion  Flower.     Smilax  herbacea       .....  165 

Red  Mulberry.     Morus  rubra 175 

Poke.     Phytolacca  decendra          ......  177 

Black  Raspberry.     Rubus  occidentalis          ....  182 

Wild  Red  Raspberry.     Rubus  strigosus        .         .         .         .182 

Low  Running  Blackberry.     Rubus  villosus          .         .         .  186 

Running  Swamp  Blackberry.     Rubus  hispidus   .         .        .  187 

High-bush.  Blackberry.     Rubus  nigrobaccus         .         .         .  190 

Black  Chokeberry.     Aronia  nigra 194 

Wild  Black  Cherry.     Prunus  serotina          ....  199 

Inkberry.     Ilex  glabra 204 


ILL  US  TR  A  TIONS  xi 

PAGE 

Buckthorn.     Rhamnus  caihartica          .....  206 

Riverside  Grape.     Vitis  vulpina  ......  213 

Virginia  Creeper.     Parthenocissus  quinquefolia    .         .         .  216 

American  Spikenard.     Aralia  racemosa       .  220 

Wild  Sarsaparilla.     Aralia  nudicaulis         ....  222 

Bristly  Sarsaparilla.     Aralia  hispida  .....  225 

Tupelo.     Nyssa  sylvatica 227 

Black  Nightshade.     Solanum  nigrum  .....  235 

Maple-leaved  Viburnum.     Viburnum  acerifolium        .         .  238 

Withe-rod.     Viburnum  cassinoides       .....  241 

Sweet  Viburnum.     Viburnum  Lentago         ....  245 

Low  Jumper.     Juniperus  nana     .         .         .         .         .         .  250 

Red  Cedar.     Juniperus  Virginiana       .....  253 

Yellow  Clintonia.     Clintonia  borealis  .....  256 

Blue  Cohosh.     Caulophyllum  thalictroides    ....  259 

Silky  Cornel.     Cornus  Amonum  .         .         .         .         .         .  264 

Alternate-leaved  Cornel.     Cornus  alternifolia      .         .         .  267 

High-bush  Blueberry.     Vaccinium  corymbosum  .         .         .  273 

Dwarf  Blueberry.     Vaccinium  Pennsylvanicum  .         .         .  276 

Low  Blueberry.     Vaccinium  vacillans          ....  276 

Arrowwood.     Vibernum  dentatum         .....  281 

Blue  or  Mountain  Fly  Honeysuckle.     Lonicera  ccerulea     .  283 

Low  Hairy  Ground  Cherry.     Physalis  pubescens         .         .  295 
White  Baneberry.     Actcea  alba    .        .      •.        .        .        .312 

Poison  Ivy.     Rhus  radicans         ......  316 

Panicled  Cornel.     Cornus  candidissima        ....  319 

Snowberry.     Symphoricarpos  racemosus       ....  322 


INTRODUCTION 

IF  in  country  drive  or  ramble  we  happen  upon 
an  unknown  flower,  it  is  a  comparatively  easy 
matter,  by  means  of  the  illustrations  and  the 
color  guides  of  the  modern  field  books  of  wild 
flowers,  to  identify  it.  The  lack  of  similar 
reference  books  for  identifjdng  a  plant  by  its 
fruit  was  forcibly  brought  to  my  notice  during 
a  drive  in  early  autumn.  Our  journeyings  led 
us  along  a  wooded  roadway  where  it  was  no 
longer  the  brilliance  of  the  flowers  which  de- 
manded our  attention,  but  rather  the  attractive 
masses  of  fruits.  There  was  one  shrub  bearing 
fruits  of  varying  colors  in  different  stages  of 
development  which  was  very  attractive  and 
which  I  did  not  know.  I  naturally  wished  to 
make  its  acquaintance. 

Here  the  aforesaid  field  books  failed  to  give 
their  ready  aid.  Any  system  of  analysis  was 
of  no  avail,  as  the  flower  which  preceded  this 
special  fruit  was  unobtainable.  I  was  surprised 
at  the  meagerness  of  the  descriptions  of  the 
fruits  which  I  read,  hoping  to  find  my  specimen 


XIV  INTRODUCTION 

among  them.  It  was  this  difficulty  of  approach 
to  the  identification  of  my  fruited  plant,  and  the 
scarcity  of  material  relating  to  this  aspect  of 
the  plant's  life,  that  suggested  the  present  book. 

I  have  attempted  to  deal  with  those  plants 
only  which  bear  attractively  colored  fruits. 
These  fruits  are  the  more  noticeable  ones ;  they 
do  not,  in  most  cases,  develop  until  the  blossoms 
have  entirely  disappeared  ;  and  they  naturally 
fall  into  a  class  by  themselves,  being  adapted 
for  the  same  method  of  seed  dispersal.  The 
list  will  naturally  include  herbs,  shrubs,  and 
trees.  A  guide  based  on  the  kind  and  struc- 
ture of  the  fruit  will  aid  in  determining  the 
family  to  which  a  plant  belongs,  and  under 
each  family  the  species  are  grouped  by  colors. 
The  illustrations  will  also  aid  in  identifying 
specimens. 

If  the  acquaintance  of  approximately  two 
hundred  plants  of  our  northeastern  section  in 
their  fruited  stage  is  made  more  accessible ;  if 
added  attention  is  attracted  to  the  result  of  the 
work  of  the  flower,  making  our  knowledge  of 
the  cycle  of  the  plant's  life  more  complete,  the 
work,  fragmentary  though  it  be,  may  have  a 
place. 

The  order  of  arrangement  of  the  Plant  Fami- 


IN  TR  Ob  UCTION  X  V 

lies  follows  that  of  Engler  and  Prantl.  The 
nomenclature  and  arrangement  of  species  is 
essentially  that  of  Britton  and  Brown.  The 
additional  name  is  the  term  used  in  Gray's 
sixth  edition.  In  the  classification  of  the 
Blackberries  I  have  followed  the  general  plan 
of  L.  H.  Bailey,  who  has  made  a  recent  and 
careful  study  of  them. 

I  am  indebted  to  many  a  work  of  reference 
for  aid :  Gray's  "  Manual,"  Britton  and  Brown's 
"Illustrated  Flora  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada,"  Emerson's  "  Report  of  the  Trees  and 
Shrubs  of  Massachusetts,"  Card's  "Bush  Fruits," 
Bailey's  "  Evolution  of  our  Native  Fruits,"  Ker- 
ner  and  Oliver's  "The  Natural  History  of  Plants," 
and  others. 

To  the  friends  who  have  kindly  furnished 
specimens  I  would  extend  my  sincere  gratitude. 
There  have  been  many  who,  by  the  expression 
of  a  need  for  help  such  as  the  present  book 
hopes  to  give,  or  by  suggestion  and  encourage- 
ment, have  strengthened  my  purpose  to  carry 
on  the  work  to  its  fulfillment.  I  hold  them  all 
in  grateful  remembrance. 


ADAPTATIONS    OF   FRUITS   AND   SEEDS 
FOR   DISPERSAL  AND   PROTECTION 

THE  perfected  fruit  —  how  it  suggests  both  the 
backward  and  the  forward  look  :  backward  over 
the  stages  of  growth  which  have  produced  it, 
forward  to  the  stages  of  growth  which  are 
potential  within  it. 

"  My  heart  is  awed  within  me  when  I  think 
Of  the  great  miracle  which  still  goes  on 
In  silence  round  me  —  the  perpetual  work 
Of  thy  creation,  finished,  yet  renewed 
Forever."  —  BRYANT. 

Miracle,  indeed,  it  is  that  inclosed  within  the 
seed  is  the  power  to  burst  its  bonds,  to  utilize 
its  stored  food  material,  to  gather  nutriment 
from  earth  and  air,  to  grow  and  to  produce  again 
a  seed  capable  of  continuing  the  life  of  the  species 
from  which  it  has  sprung. 

For  the  development  of  this,  however,  certain 
conditions  are  necessary.  The  new  plant  must 
have  room  in  earth  and  air  for  its  best  growth. 
If  the  seeds  of  a  plant  all  started  life  in  the 

xvii 


xviii  DISPERSAL  AND  PROTECTION 

immediate  vicinity  of  the  parent,  and  this  were 
continued  year  after  year,  it  is  easy  to  see  that 
there  would  soon  be  no  room  for  new  growths. 
The  necessity  of  a  means  of  dispersal  seems  to 
be  fundamental  to  the  fruit  or  seed.  Examine 
fruit  after  fruit  or  seed  after  seed,  and  the  varied 
and  adequate  structures  for  their  dissemination 
are  found  to  be  most  interesting. 

The  winged  fruit  of  the  maple,  the  tufted  seed 
of  the  milkweed,  and  the  plumed  fruit  of  the 
clematis  are  a  few  of  numerous  examples  of 
fruits  fitted  for  dispersal  by  means  of  the  wind. 

Some  fruits  have  mechanical  devices  which 
throw  their  seeds  to  a  necessarily  short  distance. 
Have  you  not  violated  the  command  of  the 
touch-me-not,  just  to  see  the  parts  of  the  pod 
curl  up  and  throw  out  the  seeds  ?  This  method 
of  dispersal  is  not  especially  advantageous,  and 
is  confined  to  comparatively  few  plants.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  these,  as  a  rule,  grow  in 
spots  sheltered  from  the  wind,  where  its  agency 
would  be  unavailing  in  scattering  their  seeds. 

Water  is  an  agent  in  transporting  a  relatively 
small  number  of  fruits.  The  cocoanut  is  admi- 
rably adapted  for  this  means  of  dispersal,  and 
the  existence  of  the  cocoanut  palm  on  widely 
separated  coral  islands  is  interesting  in  this 
connection. 


DISPERSAL  AND  PROTECTION  xix 

Doubtless  your  own  experience  with  burdocks, 
agrimony,  sticktights,  and  beggar  ticks  has 
been  sufficiently  emphatic  to  render  unnecessary 
further  mention  of  those  fruits  or  seeds  which, 
fastening  themselves  to  men  and  animals,  are 
carried  by  them  hither  and  thither.  Plants 
bearing  such  fruits  naturally  grow  most  pro- 
fusely by  the  side  of  the  road  or  footpath. 

Animals  and  especially  birds  are  instrumental 
in  scattering  seeds  in  still  another  way,  using  a 
part  of  the  fruit  for  food  and  ejecting  the  seeds. 
It  is  this  class  of  fruits  with  which  this  book  is 
chiefly  concerned. 

That  seed  dispersal  is  accomplished  by  the 
means  noted  above  has  been  a  matter  of  dispute 
among  botanists,  but  carefully  conducted  experi- 
ments have  proved,  without  a  doubt,  that  many 
birds  eject  the  consumed  seeds  unharmed.  Inter- 
esting accounts  of  these  are  given  in  Kerner  and 
Oliver's  "  Natural  History  of  Plants." 

It  has  been  found  that  while  some  birds  grind 
up  and  destroy  even  the  hardest  coated  seeds, 
others,  like  the  ravens  and  jackdaws,  destroy 
only  the  soft-coated  seeds  ;  while  thrushes  and 
blackbirds  eject  unharmed  a  large  majority  of 
the  seeds  eaten.  The  small  seeds  pass  entirely 
through  the  intestinal  tract  while  the  larger 
ones  are  separated  from  the  pulp  in  the  crop, 


XX  DISPERSAL  AND  PROTECTION 

the  pulp  passing  on  into  the  gizzard  and  the 
seeds  being  thrown  up. 

Many  plants  whose  seeds  are  scattered  by  birds 
grow  along  the  fence  rows.  The  significance  of 
this  is  apparent,  the  seed  being  dropped  by  the 
bird  as  he  rested  upon  the  fence. 

The  parallel  between  the  interdependence  of 
the  flower  and  the  insect  and  that  of  the  fruit 
and  the  bird  is  striking.  The  flower  sets  forth 
honey  and  sometimes  a  surplus  of  pollen  for  its 
guests,  its  color  decorations  are  arranged  most 
effectively,  while  often  a  subtle  odor  is  a  sign  of 
welcome  or  repulse  to  wandering  insects.  The 
bee  or  other  insect  responds  to  these  attractions 
and  duly  regales  himself.  In  return  for  the 
hospitalities  extended,  he  serves  as  the  flower's 
messenger,  bringing  to  the  pistil  of  the  flower- 
host  pollen  from  a  neighboring  bloom,  or  bearing 
away  with  him  freshly  gathered  pollen  grains  to 
deposit  upon  a  near-by  pistil.  Cross  fertilization, 
by  means  of  which  more  vigorous  seeds  are  pro- 
duced%  is  thus  accomplished. 

Turning  to  the  fruit,  we  find  similar  attrac- 
tions offered  to  the  birds.  A  pulp  is  usually 
developed  for  food,  an  odor  is  sometimes  pres- 
ent, as  in  the  case  of  the  strawberry,  grape,  and 
pineapple,  and  the  different  color  schemes  are 
fascinating. 


DISPERSAL   AND  PROTECTION  XXI 

In  what  setting  will  the  red  fruit  appear  to 
greatest  advantage  ?  In  a  green  one,  surely,  and 
it  is  the  plants  whose  fruit  ripens  while  the  sur- 
rounding foliage  is  still  green,  or  whose  foliage 
is  evergreen,  which  usually  bear  red  fruits. 
Amidst  the  brightly  colored  leafage  of  autumn, 
how  effective  are  the  blue  and  black  drupes  and 
berries  !  Sometimes  the  dark-colored  fruits  are 
borne  on  red  stems,  producing  a  similar  result. 
White  fruits  grow  usually  on  plants  which  shed 
their  leaves  early,  the  white  being  brought  into 
contrast  with  the  bare  branches,  or,  if  low  plants, 
with  the  floor  covering  of  fallen  leaves.  The 
fruits  are  often  massed  in  close  heads,  spikes, 
etc.,  rendering  them  still  more  conspicuous. 

The  bird  recognizes  the  sign  of  his  especial 
hostelry  from  afar,  and  comes  to  the  feast  spread 
for  him.  As  we  have  seen,  he  renders  his  host 
a  mutual  service,  depositing  its  offspring  in 
various  places,  some  of  which  will  doubtless 
prove  auspicious  for  the  seed's  development. 

Bears  are  fond  of  berries  and  are  said  to  scatter 
their  seed.  Mrs.  Dana  speaks  of  the  berry  of  the 
wintergreen  (Gaultheria  procumbens)  serving  as 
food  in  winter  for  the  hungry  deer. 

Until  the  seeds  are  ripe,  many  features  serve 
to  protect  them  from  destruction  by  the  agent 
afterward  so  useful  in  dispersing  them.  The 


xxii  DISPERSAL   AND  PROTECTION 

fruit  has  a  disagreeable  taste,  is  sometimes  even 
poisonous.  It  has  no  scent  and  is  inconspicuous, 
being  green,  like  the  foliage.  Some  fruits,  like 
the  chestnut,  walnut,  etc.,  have  an  especial  pro- 
tection in  the  surrounding  involucre. 

Some  ripe  fruits  have  certain  means  of  protec- 
tion against  foes  that  destroy  the  seed  as  well  as 
the  pulp.  Mice  are  fond  of  rose  hips  and  the 
contained  seeds,  but  do  not  venture  along  the 
thorny  way  by  which  they  are  reached.  Fallen 
cherries  are  eagerly  eaten  by  centipedes,  but 
hanging  on  their  lengthened  stalks  they  are 
comparatively  safe  from  them. 

Our  knowledge  is  as  yet  not  sufficiently  detailed 
to  state  definitely  that  all  of  the  fruits  described 
in  this  work  are  used  as  food  by  birds  or  animals 
that  scatter  their  seeds.  Such  fruits  are  included 
as  seem  adapted  for  transmission  in  this  way. 
We  do  know  that  many  of  them  are  eaten  by 
birds  and  know  also  the  kind  or  kinds  of  birds 
using  them.  Dr.  C.  F.  Hodge,  in  his  book, 
"  Nature  Study  and  Life,"  has  an  interesting 
table  of  birds  and  their  foods  which  includes  a 
number  of  these  fruits.  Numerous  investigations 
along  this  line  are  being  made.  Birds  from 
various  sections  are  sent  to  government  experts, 
who,  from  an  examination  of  the  contents  of 
their  food  tracts,  are  enabled  to  determine  many 


DISPERSAL   AND  PROTECTION  xxiii 

of  the  foods  eaten  by  them.    Observation  of  living 
birds  and  the  foods  they  choose  is  urged. 

Full  of  meaning  is  the  study  of  fruits  and 
their  adaptations,  and  includes  many  uninter- 
preted  problems,  making  us  feel,  with  Calder- 
wood,  '•  that  the  more  we  know,  the  more 
impressive  becomes  the  unknown." 


DEFINITIONS 

THE  fruit  is  the  ripened  ovary,  its  contents, 
and  any  other  parts  that  are  closely  connected 
with  it. 

A  berry  is  rather  thin-skinned,  and  has  its 
seeds  loosely  imbedded  in  soft  pulpy  or  succu- 
lent material.  An  orange,  a  grape,  a  currant, 
are  illustrations. 

A  drupe  has  for  its  distinguishing  feature  a 
stone  inclosing  the  seed.  The  portion  surround- 
ing it  may  be  fleshy,  as  in  the  peach ;  fibrous,  as 
in  the  cocoanut ;  or  leathery,  as  in  the  walnut. 

A  pome  has  its  seeds  and  their  cartilaginous 
or  bony  surrounding  membranes  inclosed  in  a 
fleshy  mass,  which  is  thickened  calyx  or  some- 
times partly  receptacle.  Apple,  pear,  and  quince 
are  examples.  .. 

Aggregate  fruits  are  masses  of  several  carpels 
of  the  same  flower  which,  when  ripe,  may  or  may 
not  remain  fast  to  the  receptacle  on  which  they 
are  borne.  Raspberry  and  blackberry  are  famil- 
iar examples. 

Multiple  fruits  are  compact  masses  of  the 
ripened  product  of  many  flowers.  Pineapple 
and  mulberry  are  the  usual  illustrations. 

Accessory  fruits  are  simple  fruits  which  have 
incorporated  with  them,  as  part  of  their  mass, 
the  developed  surroundings  or  supports  of  the 
pistil.  Gaultheria  has  its  capsule  surrounded  by 
thickened  fleshy  calyx. 

XXV 


GUIDE  TO   PLANT  FAMILIES 
REPRESENTED 

I.    GYMNOSPER1VUE 

„      ,  .      ,  ,.  ,    „          PAGE  OF  FAMILIES 

"  Ovules  naked  upon  a  scale,  bract,  or  disk.  AND  SPECIES 

Globose,  formed  by  coalescence  of  fleshy  scales. 

1  to  6  bony  seeds.  PINACE.E  .....     xxxii 

Cup-shaped  fleshy  disk  nearly  inclosing  bony  seed. 
TAXACE^:      .... 


II.    ANGIOSPERMJE 

Pistil  consists  of  closed  ovary  containing  the  ovules 
and  becoming  the  fruit. 

1.  MONOCOTYLEDONES 

Stem  without  central  pith  or  annual  layers,  but  with 
vascular  bundles  scattered  through  them. 
Leaves  are  mostly  parallel-veined. 
Parts  of  flowers  usually  arranged  in  threes. 
Embryo  has  but  one  cotyledon. 

FRUIT  A  BERRY 

Growing  in  close  heads  on  fleshy  stalks. 

ARACE.E    .....    xxxii 
Woody  or  herbaceous  vines. 

SMILACE.E     ....    xxxiii 

All  others.  CONVALLARIACE.E  .     .    xxxii 

xxvi 


GUIDE   TO  PLANT  FAMILIES  XXvii 


2.   DICOTYLEDONES 

Stems  have  bark,  wood,  and  pith. 
Leaves  are  net-veined. 
Parts  of  flowers  in  fours  or  fives. 
Embryo  has  two  or  more  cotyledons. 


(A)  FRUIT  A  BERRY 


PAGE  OF 


I.  Calyx  persistent.  FAMILIES  AND 

SPECIES 

(a)  Berry  crowned  with  shriveled  remains  of  calyx. 

GROSSULAKIACE^E  .     .    xxxvi 

(6)  Calyx  teeth  or  top  of  tube  crowning  summit  of 
fruit.  Vaccinium,Oxycoccus, 

and  Chiogenes  in  xli'  xlii 

VACCINIACE.E    .     . 

Fruit  in  clusters  on  sterns  from  the  axils" 
of  the  leaves.          Symphoricarpos  and 
Lonicera  in 
CAPRIFOLIACE.E     .    . 

(c)  Calyx  persistent  at  base  of  fruit  and  sometimes 
inclosing  it. 

Plumlike  fruit  containing  4  to  8  hard  seeds. 
Calyx  thickened. 

EBENACE.E    ....    xlii 

Many  seeds  arranged  around  an  axial  pla- 
centa, which  sometimes  extends  far  into 
the  cells.  SOLANACE^E  ....  xlii 

Kacemes.  Berry  5-  to  16-celled,  one  seed  in 
each.  PHYTOLACCACE^E  .  .  xxxiv 

II.  Calyx  absent, 
(a)   Several-seeded. 


XXV111  GUIDE   TO   PLANT  FAMILIES 

PAGE  OF 
heeds  DlClOSed  in  A.TllS  FAMILIES  AND 

SPECIES 

Arils  pulpy.      Seeds  covering  large  lateral 
placenta  in  two  rows. 

Podophyllum  in 
BERBERIDACE.E      .    .    xxxv 
Arils  fleshy. 

ANONACE^E    ....    xxxv 

Seeds  not  in  Arils 
Fruit  growing  in  racemes. 

Actaea  in 

RANUNCULACE.E    .    .    xxxv 
(6)  One-  to  few-seeded. 

Parasitic.  LORANTHACE.E  .    .    .    xxxiv 

Climbing  shrub.        VITACE^E xxxix 

Sour  berries  in  drooping  racemes. 

Berberis  in 

BERBERIDACE^E      .    .    xxxv 
Others.  Ligustrum  in 

OLEACE^E xlii 

(B)  FRUIT  A  DRUPE 

Berrylike  Drupe 
I.   Calyx  persistent. 

(a)  Calyx  teeth  or  top  of  tube  crowning  summit  of  drupe. 
About  5  nutlets,  flattened  or  somewhat  three- 
angled.  Embryo  small.  Roots,  bark,  fruit 
,   aromatic.  ARALIACE.E  .     .     .    .    xl 

Ten  small  seedlike  nutlets.    Gaylussacia  in 

VACCINIACE^E    .     .    .    xli 
Double  drupe  with  calyx  teeth  of  2  flowers. 

RUBIACE.E     ....    xlii 
Juicy  drupes    containing    3   nutlets    and  1 
borne  in  cymes.      Sambucus  in 

CAPRIFOLIACE^E     .     . 


GUIDE  TO  PLANT  FAMILIES  xxix 

PAGE  OF 
FAMILIES  AND 

(6)  Calyx  persistent  at  base.  SPECIES 

Four  to  eight  nutlets.  ILICACE.E      ....     xxxviii 
Five  to  ten  nutlets.    Trailing  or  depressed 
shrub.  Arctostaphylos  in 

ERICACEAE     .    .     .     .    xli 
Low  evergreen   shrub  with   leaves   rolled 
backwards  until  the  margins  meet. 
Empetrum  in 

EMPETRACE.E     .     .     .    xxxviii 
II.  Calyx  absent. 

Single  nutlet.  THYMELEACE.E      .    .    xxxix 

Two  to  four  nutlets  of  cartilaginous  texture. 

RHAMNACE.E      .     .    .    xxxix 

Typical  Drupes 
I.   Calyx  persistent. 

(a)  Calyx  teeth  or  top  of  tube  crowning  the  summit. 
Small  drupe  with  usually  globose  stone. 


One-seeded,  flattened  or  tumid,  thin,  crus- 
taceous  stone.         Viburnum  in 

CAPRIFOLIACE.E     .     . 
Dryish  drupe  with  usually  3  nutlets. 

Triosteum  in 

CAPRIFOLIACE.E     .    .    xliii 
(6)  Calyx  persistent  at  base. 

Drupe  borne  on  fleshy  red  pedicel. 

Sassafras  in 

LAURACE^E    ....    xxxv 
Drupes  in  elongated  racemes. 

Primus  serotina  in 

DRUPACE^E    ....    xxxviii 
Drupes  in  loose  panicles.      Chionanthus  in 

OLEACEJS       ....     xlii 


XXX  GUIDE   TO  PLANT  FAMILIES 

PAGE  OF 
FAMILIES  AND 

II.   Calyx  absent.  SPECIES 

Globose.     Embryo  curved. 

ULMACE^E      ....    xxxiv 
Globular,  with  mark  of  stigma  near  base. 

MENISPERMACE.E   .     .    xxxv 
Aromatic  trees  or  shrubs. 
Oblong  or  obovoid  drupe. 

Benzoin  in  LAURACE.E    xxxv 
Fleshy,  globular  drupe. 
Fleshy  cotyledons.     Prunus,  except  P. 

serotina  in  DRUPACE.E     xxxviii 

Dry  Drupes 

Exocarp  covered  with  white  wax. 

MYRICACE.E  ....     xxxiv 
Small,  1-seeded.         ANACARDIACE.E     .     .     xxxviii 

(C)  FRUIT  A  POME 

Fleshy  or  berrylike. 

Two  to  five  papery  carpels,  each  2-seeded. 

POMACES      ....    xxxvii 

excepting  Amelanchier 

and  Crataegus. 
Small,  10-celled,  1  seed  in  each  cell. 

Amelanchier  in 

POMACE^E XXXVii 

Drupe-like,  1  to  5  bony  carpels. 

Cratsegus  in  POMACES    xxxvii 

(D)  AGGREGATE  FRUITS 

Cone-shaped.  The  berrylike  seeds  hanging 
by  a  thread  from  each  carpel,  which 
opens  when  ripe  along  the  back. 

MAGNOLIACE.E  .     .     .    xxxiv 


GUIDE   TO  PLANT  FAMILIES  xxxi 

PAGE  OF 

FAMILIES  AND 

SPECIES 

Ovoid  head,  of  1-  to  2-seeded  berries,  each 
with  a  short  curved  beak  at  the  tip. 
Hydrastis  in 

RANUNCULACE^E    .     .    xxxv 

Head  of  small  drupes  on  spongy  or  juicy  1  xxxvi, 
receptacle.  Rubus  in  ROSACES    .  J  xxxvii 

Dry  achenes  borne  on  surface  of  enlarged 
pulpy  receptacle.  Fragaria  in  ROSACE^E  xxxvi 

(E)  MULTIPLE  FRUITS 

Achenes  covered  by  the  succulent  calyx, 
the  united  spike  forming  a  multiple  fruit. 

MORACE.E      ....    xxxiv 

(F)  ACCESSORY  FRUITS 

Four -cleft  calyx  inclosing  ovary  and  be- 
coming berrylike  in  fruit. 

Lepargyraea  in 

EL^AGNACE^E   .    .     .    xxxix 
Five-toothed    calyx    inclosing    capsule    in 
berrylike  fruit.       Gaultheria  in 

ERICACEAE     .    .    .    .    xl 

(G)  MISCELLANEOUS 

Thick  seed  stalks  bearing  2  naked  seeds 
resembling  drupes  in  their  fleshy  blue 
coverings.  Caulophyllum  in 

BERBERIDACE^E      .     .     xxxv 
Bony  achenes  in  rather  fleshy  calyx  tube. 

Rosa  in  ROSACES       „    xxxvi 
Somewhat  fleshy,  dehiscent,  2-  to  5-parted 
pod  with  ariled  seeds. 

CELASTRACE.E    .     .         xxxix 


FAMILIES   AND   SPECIES 


I.    GYMNOSPERMJE 

PINACEJE  PINE  FAMILY 

Blue 

Juniperus  communis  L.     .     .     .  Common  Juniper. 

Juniperus  nana  Willd Low  Juniper. 

Juniperus  Virginiana  L.    .     .     .  Red  Cedar. 

Juniperus  Sabina  L Shrubby  Red  Cedar. 

TAXACEJE  YEW  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Taxus  minor  (Michx.)  Britton  .     American  Yew. 


II.    ANGIOSPERMJE 

(a)   MONOCOTYLEDONES 

ARACE^E  ARUM  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Arisaema  triphyllum  (L.)  Torr.  Indian  Turnip. 
Arisaema  dracontium  (L.)  Schott.  Green  Dragon. 
Calla  palustris  L Water-arum. 

Green 
PeltandraVirginica  (L.)  Kunth.    .Green  Arrow-arum. 

CONVALLARIACEJE  LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Asparagus  officinalis  L.     .     .     .     Asparagus. 
Vagnera  racemosa  (L.)  Morong.     Wild  Spikenard. 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  xxxiii 

Vagnera   trifolia    (L.)   Morong.  Three-leavred  Solomon's  Seal. 
Unifolium    Canadense     (Desf.) 

Greene False  Lily-of -the- Valley. 

Disporum  lanuginosum  (Michx.) 

Nichols Hairy  Disporum. 

Streptopus  amplexifolius(L.)DC.  Clasping-leaved    Twisted 

Stalk. 

Streptopus  roseus  Michx.      .     .  Sessile-leaved  Twisted  Stalk. 

Trillium  sessile  L Sessile-flowered  Wake-robin. 

Trillium  nivale  Riddell      .     .     .  Early  Wake-robin. 
Trillium  grandiflorum  (Michx.) 

Salisb Large-flowered  Wake-robin. 

Trillium  erectum  L Ill-scented  Wake-robin. 

Trillium  cernuum  L Nodding  Wake-robin. 

Trillium  undulaturn  Willd.    .     .  Painted  Wake-robin. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Clintonia  umbellulata  (Michx.) 

Torr White  Clintonia. 

Vagnera  stellata    (L.)    Morong.     Star-flowered  Solomon's  Seal. 
Polygonatum  biflorum    (Walt.) 

Ell Hairy  Solomon's  Seal. 

Polygonatum  commutatum    (R. 

&  S.)  Dietr Smooth  Solomon's  Seal. 

MedeolaVirginianaL Indian  Cucumber  Root. 

Blue 
Clintonia   borealis    (Ait.)    Raf.    Yellow  Clintonia. 

SMILACEJE  SMILAX  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Smilax  Walter!  Pursh  ....     Walter's  Greenbrier. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Smilax  herbacea  L Carrion  Flower. 

Smilax  tamnifolia  Michx.      .     .     Halberd-leaved  Srnilax. 
Smilax  glauca  Walt Glaucous-leaved  Greenbrier. 


XXXI v  FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES 

Smilax  rotundifolia  L.       ...  Greenbrier. 

Smilax  hispida  Muhl Hispid  Greenbrier. 

Smilax  Pseudo-China  L.    .     .     .  Long-stalked  Greenbrier. 

Smilax  Bona-nox  L Bristly  Greenbrier. 

(6)  DICOTYLEDONES 

MYRICACEJE  BAYBERRY  FAMILY 

White 

Myrica  Carolinensis  Mill  .     .     .     Waxberry. 

ULMACEJE  ELM  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Celtis  occidentalis  L Sugarberry. 

MORACE^E  MULBERRY  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Morns  rubra  L Red  Mulberry. 

White 
Morus  alba  L White  Mulberry. 

LORANTHACEJE  MISTLETOE  FAMILY 

White 

Razoumofskya    pusilla     (Peck) 

Kuntze Small  Mistletoe. 

Phoradendron  flavescens  (Pursh) 

Nutt American  Mistletoe. 

PHYTOLACCACEJE  POKEWEED  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 
Phytolacca  decendra  L.      .     .     .     Poke. 

MAGNOLIACE^E  MAGNOLIA  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Magnolia  Virginian  a  L.     .     .     .     Laurel  Magnolia. 
Magnolia  acuminata  L.      .     .     .     Cucumber  Tree. 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  XXXV 

ANONACEJE  CUSTARD-APPLE  FAMILY 

Yellow 
Asimina  triloba  (L.)  Dunal.       .     North  American  Papaw. 

RANUNCULACE^E  CROWFOOT  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Hydrastis  Canadensis  L.    .     .     .     Orange  Root. 
Actsea  rubra  (Ait.)  Willd.     .     .     Red  Baneberry. 

White 
Actsea  alba  (L.)  Mill White  Baneberry. 

BERBERIDACEJE  BARBERRY  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Berberis  vulgaris  L Common  Barberry. 

Blue 

Caulophyllum  thalictroides  (L.) 

Michx Blue  Cohosh. 

Yellow 
Podophyllum  peltatum  L. .     .     .    May  Apple. 

MENISPERMACEJE  MOONSEED  FAMILY 

Blade  or  Dark  Purple 
Menispermum  Canadense  L.       .     Canada  Moonseed. 

LAURACEJE  LAUREL  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Benzoin  Benzoin  (L.)  Coulter    .     Spice  Bush. 

Blue 
Sassafras  Sassafras  (L.)  Karst.  .     Sassafras. 


xxxvi  FAMILIES  AND  SPECIES 

GROSSULARIACEJE  GOOSEBERRY  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Ribes  oxyacanthoides  L.    .     .     .     Hawthorn  or  Northern  Goose- 
berry. 

Ribes  rotundifolium  Michx.       .     Eastern  Wild  Gooseberry. 
Ribes  lacustre  (Pers.)  Poir.   .     .     Swamp  Gooseberry. 
Ribes  prostratum  L'Her.   .     .     .     Fetid  Currant. 
Ribes  rubrum  L Red  Currant. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Ribes  Cynosbati  L Wild  Gooseberry. 

Ribes  floridum  L'Her Wild  Black  Currant. 

ROSACEJE  ROSE  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Rubus  odoratus  L Purple-flowering  Raspberry. 

Rubus  Chamsemorus  L.      .     .     .  Cloudberry. 

Rubus  strigosus  Michx.      .     .     .  Wild  Red  Raspberry. 

Rubus  neglectus  Peck   ....  Purple  Wild  Raspberry. 

Rubus  Americanus  (Pers.)  Brit- 
ton  Dwarf  Raspberry. 

Fragaria  Virginian  a  Duchesne  .  Virginia  or  Scar  let  Strawberry. 

Fragaria  Canadensis  Michx. .     .  Northern  Wild  Strawberry. 

Fragaria  vesca  L European  Wood  Strawberry. 

Fragaria  Americana  (Porter) 

Britton American  Wood  Strawberry. 

Rosa  blanda  Ait Smooth  or  Meadow  Rose. 

Rosa  Carolina  L Swamp  Rose. 

Rosa  humilis  Marsh Low  or  Pasture  Rose. 

Rosa  nitida  Willd Northeastern  Rose. 

Rosa  canina  L Dog  Rose. 

Rosa  rubiginosa  L Sweetbrier. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Rubus  occidentalis  L.         ...     Black  Raspberry. 
Rulms  villosus  Ait Low  Blackberry. 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  XXX vii 

Rubus  hispidus  L Running  Swamp  Blackberry. 

Rubus  cimeifolius  Pursh    .     .     .  Sand  Blackberry. 

Rubus  nigrobaccus High  Bush  Blackberry. 

Rubus  nigrobaccus,  var.  sativus  Short  Cluster  Blackberry. 

Rubus  Allegheniensis  Porter      .  Mountain  Blackberry. 

Rubus  argutus  Link Leafy  Cluster  Blackberry. 

Rubus  Canadensis  L Thornless  Blackberry. 

POMACEJE  APPLE  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Sorbus  Americana  Marsh.      .     .  American  Mountain  Ash. 
Sorbus  sambucifolia    (C.  &  S.) 

Roem Western  Mountain  Ash. 

Aronia  arbutifolia  (L.)  Ell.  .     .  Red  Chokeberry. 
Amelanchier  Botryapium  (L.  f .) 

DC Shad  Bush. 

Amelanchier   Canadensis      (L.) 

Medic Juneberry. 

Cratsegus  Crus-Galli  L.      .     .     .  Cockspur  Thorn. 

Cratsegus  punctata  Jacq.        .     .  Large-fruited  Thorn. 

Cratsegus  coccinea  L Scarlet  Thorn. 

Cratsegus  macracantha  Lodd.     .  Long-spined  Thorn. 

Cratsegus  mollis  (T.  & G.)  Scheele  Red-fruited  Thorn. 

Cratsegus  tomentosa  L.      .     .     .  Pear  Thorn. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Aronia  nigra  (Willd.)  Britton  .  Black  Chokeberry. 
Amelanchier  oligocarpa  (Michx.) 

Roem Oblong-fruited  Juneberry. 

Yellow 

Cratsegus  uniflora  Muench.    .     .  Dwarf  Thorn. 

Green 

Pyrus  communis  L Choke  pear. 

Malus  coronaria  (L.)  Mill.     .     .  American  Crab  Apple. 

Malus  angustifolia  (Ait.)  Michx.  Narrow -leaved  Crab  Apple. 


XXXVlil  FAMILIES  AND  SPECIES 

DRUPACE^E  PLUM  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Primus  Americana  Marsh.     .     .  Wild  Yellow  or  Red  Plum. 

Prunus  nigra  Ait Canada  Plum. 

Prunus  niaritima  Wang.    .     .     .  Beach  Plum. 

Prunus  Pennsylvanica  L.  f.    ,     .  Wild  Red  Cherry. 

Prunus  Virginiana  L Chokecherry. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Prunus  Allegheniensis  Porter     .  Porter's  Plum. 

Prunus  spinosa  L Sloe. 

Prunus  pumila  L Dwarf  Cherry. 

Prunus  serotina  Ehrh Wild  Black  Cherry. 

EMPETRACEJE  CROWBERRY  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 
Empetrum  nigrum  L Black  Crowberry. 

ANACARDIACEJE  SUMAC  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Rhus  copallina  L Dwarf  Sumac. 

Rhus  hirta  (L.)  Sudw Staghorn  Sumac. 

Rhus  glabra  L Smooth  Sumac. 

Rhus  aromatica  Ait,      ....    Fragrant    or    Sweet-scented 

Sumac. 
White 

Rhus  Vernix  L.    ......     Poison  Sumac. 

Rhus  radicans  L» Poison,  Climbing,  or  Three- 
leaved  Ivy. 

ILICACE^  HOLLY  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Ilex  opaca  Ait American  Holly. 

Ilex  monticola  A.  Gray      .     .     .  Large-leaved  Holly. 

Ilex  verticillata  (L.)  A.  Gray     .  Black  Alder. 

Ilex  l8evigata(Pursh)  A.  Gray    .  Smooth  Winter  Berry. 

Ilicioides mucronata  (L.)  Brittou  Wild  or  Mountain  Holly. 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  xxxix 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 
Ilex  glabra  (L.)  A.  Gray  .     .     .     Inkberry. 

CELASTRACE^  STAFF-TREE  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Euonymus  Americanus  L.      .     .     Strawberry  Bush. 
Euonymus  obovatus  Nutt.      .     .     Running  Strawberry  Bush. 
Euonymus  atropurpureus  Jacq. .     Burning  Bush. 
Celastrus  scandens  L.    .    .     .     .     Shrubby  or  Climbing  Bitter- 
sweet. 

RHAMNACEJB  BUCKTHORN  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Rhamnus  cathartica  L.      ...     Buckthorn. 

Rhamnus  lanceolata  Pursh     .     .     Lance-leaved  Buckthorn. 

Rhamnus  alnifolia  L'Her. .     .     .     Alder-leaved  Buckthorn. 

VITACEJE  GRAPE  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Vitis  Labrusca  L Northern  Fox  Grape. 

Vitis  sestivalis  Michx Summer  Grape. 

Vitis  bicolor  LeConte    ....  Blue  Grape. 

Vitis  vulpina  L Riverside    or    Sweet-scented 

Grape. 

Vitis  cordifolia  Michx Frost  or  Chicken  Grape. 

Parthenocissus  quinquefolia  (L.) 

Planch Virginia  Creeper. 

THYMELEACEJE  MEZEREON  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Dirca  palustris  L Leatherwood. 

ELJEAGNACEJE  OLEASTER  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
LepargyrsBa    Canadensis       (L.) 

Greene Canadian  Buffalo  Berry. 


xl  FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES 

ARALIACE^E  GINSENG  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Panax  quinquefolium  Lo     .     .     .     Ginseng. 
Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Aralia  spinosa  L Hercules'  Club. 

Aralia  raeemosa  L American  Spikenard. 

Aralia  nudicaulis  Lo Wild  or  Virginian  Sarsapa- 

rilla. 
Aralia  hispida  Vent,      ....    Bristly  Sarsaparilla. 

Yellow 
Panax  trifolium  L Dwarf  Ginseng. 

CORNACEJE  DOGWOOD  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Cornus  Canadensis  L Low  or  Dwarf  Cornel. 

Cornus  florida  L Flowering  Dogwood. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 
Nyssa  sylvatica  Marsh Tupelo. 

Blue 

Cornus  circinata  L'Her.     .    .    .     Round-leaved  Cornel  or  Dog- 
wood. 

Cornus  Amonum  Mill.  ....     Silky  Cornel. 

Cornus  alternifolia  L0  f.     .     .     .     Alternate-leaved    Cornel    or 

Dogwood.  • 
White 

Cornus  stolonifera  Michx. .    .    .    Red-osier    Cornel    or    Dog- 
wood. 

Cornus  candidissima  Marsh.  .     .     Panicled  Cornel  or  Dogwood. 

ERICACEJB  HEATH  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Gaultheria  procumbens  L.      .     .     Spring  or  Creeping  Winter- 
green. 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  xli 

Arctostaphylos    Uva-Ursi     (L.) 

Spreng Red  Bearberry. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 
Mairania  alpina  (L.)  Desv.    .     .     Alpine  or  Black  Bearberry. 

VACCINIACEJE  HUCKLEBERRY  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Vaccinium  Vitis  Idsea  L.  .     .    .    Mountain  Cranberry. 

Oxycoccus  oxycoccus  (L.)  MacM.     Small    or    European    Cran- 
berry. 

Oxycoccus    macrocarpus    (Ait.) 

PerSc Large    or    American    Cran- 
berry. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Gaylussacia  resinosa  (Ait.)   T. 

&  G Black  or  High-bush  Huckle- 
berry. 

Gaylussacia  dumosa  (Andr.)  T. 

&  G Dwarf  or  Bush  Huckleberry. 

Vaccinium  atrococcum  (A.  Gray) 

Heller Black  Blueberry. 

Vaccinium  nigrum  (Wood)  Brit- 
ton    Low  Black  Blueberry. 

Blue 

Gaylussacia  frondosa  (L.)  T.  & 

G Blue  Tangle. 

Gaylussacia  brachycera  (Michx.) 

A.  Gray Box  Huckleberry. 

Vaccinium  uliginosum  L.  .     .     .  Great  Bilberry. 

Vaccinium    csespitosum   Michx.  Dwarf  Bilberry. 

Vaccinium  coryrnbosum  L.    .     .  High-bush  or  Tall  Blueberry. 

Vaccinium  Pennsylvanieum  Lam.  Dwarf  Blueberry. 

Vaccinium  Canadense  Richards.  Canada  Blueberry. 

Vaccinium  vacillans  Kalm.    .    .  Low  Blueberry. 


xlii  FAMILIES  AND   SP.ECIES 

Yellow 
Vaccinium  stamineum  L.  .  .  .  Deerberry. 

White 
Chiogenes  hispidula  (L.)  T.  &  G.  Creeping  Snowberry. 

EBENACEJE  EBONY  FAMILY 

Yellow 

Diospyros  Virginiana  L.    .     .     .     Persimmon. 

OLEACEJE  OLIVE  FAMILY 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Chionanthus  Virginica  L.       .     .     Fringe  Tree. 
Ligustrum  vulgare  L Privet. 

SOLANACEJE  POTATO  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Physalis  Philadelphia  Lam.      .     Philadelphia  Ground  Cherry. 
Solanum  Dulcamara  L.      .     .     .     Nightshade. 
Lycium  vulgare  (Ait.  f.)  Dunal.     Matrimony  Vine. 

Slack  or  Dark  Purple 

Solanum  nigrum  L Black  or  Garden  Nightshade. 

Yellow 
Physalis  pubescens  L.  .  .  .  .  Low  Hairy  Ground  Cherry. 

Physalis  angulata  L Cut-leaved  Ground  Cherry. 

Physalis  heterophylla  Nees.   .     .     Clammy  Ground  Cherry. 
Solanum  Carolinense  L.    .     .     .     Horse  Nettle. 

RUBIACE-ffi  MADDER  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 
Mitchella  repens  L Partridge  Berry. 

CAPRIFOLIACE^  HONEYSUCKLE  FAMILY 

Red  or  Reddish  Purple 

Sambucus  pubens  Michx.  .     .     .     Red-berried  Elder. 
Viburnum  alnifolium  Marsh.     .     Hobble  Bush, 


FAMILIES  AND   SPECIES  xliii 

Viburnum  Opulus  L Cranberry  Tree. 

Viburnum  pauciflorum  Pylaie    .     Few-flowered  Cranberry  Tree. 

Trieste um  perfoliatum  L.      .     .     Feverwort. 

Symphoricarpos  Symphoricarpos 

(L.)  MacM Coral  Berry. 

Lonicera  Caprifolium  L.   .     .     .     Italian  or  Perfoliate  Honey- 
suckle. 

Lonicera  hirsuta  Eaton     .     .     .     Hairy  Honeysuokler 

Lonicera  dioica  L Smooth-leaved    or   Glaucous 

Honeysuckle. 

Lonicera  sempervirens  L.  .     .     .     Trumpet    or    Coral    Honey- 
suckle. 

Lonicera    oblongifolia    (Goldie) 

Hook Swamp  Fly  Honeysuckle. 

Lonicera  ciliata  Muhl American  Fly  Honeysuckle. 

Black  or  Dark  Purple 

Sambucus  Canadensis  L.   .     .     .  American  Elder. 

Viburnum  acerifolium  L.  .     .     .  Maple-leaved  Arrowwood. 

Viburnum  pubescens  (Ait.)  Pursh  Downy-leaved  Arrowwood. 

Viburnum  cassinoides  L.  .     .     .  Withe-rod. 

Viburnum  nudum  L Larger  Withe-rod. 

Viburnum  Lentago  L Nannyberry. 

Viburnum  prunifolium  L.      .     .  Black  Haw. 

Blue 

Viburnum  dentatum  L.     .     .     .     Arrowwood. 
Viburnum  molle  Michx.    .     .     .     Soft-leaved  Arrowwood. 
Lonicera  coerulea  L Blue  or  Mountain  Fly  Honey- 
suckle. 

White 

Symphoricarpos  racemosus 

Michx Snowberry. 

Symphoricarpos  pauciflorus  (Rob- 
bins)  Britton Low  Snowberry. 


EED   OR   REDDISH   PURPLE 


RED    OR   REDDISH   PURPLE 

AMERICAN   YEW 

Taxus  minor.     Taxus  Canadensis  Yew  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  drupelike ;  the  hard, 
bony,  dark-colored,  oval  seed  being  nearly  in- 
closed in  a  red,  pulpy  cup,  which  is  the  devel- 
oped fleshy  flower  disk.  The  drupe  is  solitary, 
growing  at  the  end  or  the  side  of  the  branches. 
It  is  bracted  at  the  base. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  about  half  an  inch 
long,  pointed,  and  green  on  both  sides.  They 
are  arranged  spirally  around  the  branches. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  mostly  dioecious. 
The  fertile  ones,  are  solitary,  and  the  sterile  ones 
consist  of  a  few  naked  stamens.  April,  May. 

This  low  shrub  has  spreading,  crooked 
branches.  It  delights  in  a  shaded  situation, 
especially  favoring  the  shelter  of  evergreens. 
It  is  sometimes  called  Ground  Hemlock  from  its 
resemblance  to  young  hemlock  growths.  The 


AMERICAN  YBW  (Taxus  minor) 
4 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  5 

wood  of  the  Yew  is  tough  and  elastic,  and  was 
used  by  the  Indians  in  making  their  bows. 

It  extends  south  to  New  Jersey  and  along 
the  Alleghanies  to  Virginia.  It  also  ranges 
northward  from  Minnesota  and  Iowa. 


INDIAN   TURNIP.     JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT 

Arisaema  triphyllum  Arum  Family 

Fruit.  —  Bright,'  shining,  scarlet  berries  are 
crowded  together  in  an  ovoid  head.  Each  fruit 
bears  the  tip  of  the  stigma  at  the  top.  One  or 
two  seeds  are  embedded  in  a  scant,  juicy  pulp. 
August. 

Leaves.  —  One  or  two  three-parted  leaves 
usually  overtop  flower  and  fruit,  The  leaflets 
are  ovate  and  mostly  entire.  -The  leaves  some- 
times wither  and  fall  before  the  fruit  develops. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  borne  at  the  base 
of  a  club-shaped  spadix  which  is  nearly  inclosed 
in  a  sheathing  spathe,  the  top  portion  of  which 
curves  over,  forming  a  sheltering  roof.  The 
flowers  are  mostly  dioecious,  although  one  plant 
sometimes  bears  both  staminate  and  pistillate 
flowers.  They  are  fertilized  by  small  insects 


6  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

which  crawl  around  within  the  sheathing  spathe 
and  cover  themselves  with  pollen. 


JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT  (Arissema  triphyllum) 

The  plant  has  a  turnip-shaped,  wrinkled,  pep- 
pery corm,  which  contains  much  starch.      The 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  1 

Indians  are  said  to  have  cooked  it  for  food. 
They  also  cooked  and  ate  the  berries. 

The  color  of  the  hood  and  its  markings  is 
very  variable,  sometimes  light  green  with  light 
markings,  and  sometimes  dark  with  purple 
stripes.  I  was  interested,  one  spring,  to  see  if 
the  light  green  spathes  really  did  inclose  male 
flowers  and  the  dark  ones  female,  as  some 
authorities  think  probable.  I  gathered,  one  day, 
about  thirty-six  specimens.  Of  twenty  dark 
ones,  fourteen  were  pistillate  and  six  staminate. 
Of  sixteen  light  ones,  five  were  pistillate  and 
eleven  staminate.  The  majority  seem  to  bear 
out  the  supposition.  Another  interesting  mat- 
ter came  to  my  attention  from  the  examination 
of  the  specimens.  Sixteen  plants  each  had  two 
leaves,  and  of  these  fifteen  were  mostly  pistillate 
and  the  other  one  had  about  as  many  staminate 
as  pistillate  blossoms.  Of  twenty  specimens 
with  one  leaf,  sixteen  were  mainly  staminate 
and  four  pistillate.  Later  observations  tend  to 
show  that  the  two-leaved  specimens  usually  have 
pistillate  flowers,  and  the  one-leaved  staminate. 

Jack-in-the-pulpit  loves  rich,  we"t  woods,  and 
extends  as  far  west  as  Minnesota  and  eastern 
Kansas. 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

GREEN  DRAGON.   DRAGON  ROOT 

Arisaema  Dracontium  Arum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  orange-red  berries  grow  in  a 
large  ovoid  head.  They  are  one-  to  few-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  usually  solitary  compound  leaf 
has  nine  to  eleven  radiating  leaflets  with  the 
two  side  ones  somewhat  lobed.  The  leaflets 
are  pointed  and  oblong-lanceolate. 

Flowers.  —  Both  staminate  and  pistillate 
flowers  usually  grow  on  the  same  spadix.  The 
upper  part  of  the  spadix  is  much  prolonged  and 
extends  considerably  beyond  the  pointed  spathe. 
Both  spathe  and  spadix  are  green. 

The  range  is  about  that  of  Jack-in-the-pulpit. 
Around  the  main  club-shaped  bulb,  cluster  many 
tiny  bulblets,  producing  an  effect  which  to  a 
strong  imagination  might  suggest  the  foot  and 
toes  of  a  monster  and  be  responsible  for  the 
common  name  of  Dragon  Root.  The  radiating 
leaflets  are  a  bit  suggestive  of  a  dragon's  claws. 
Leaves  and  flowers  are  both  green,  the  only  bit 
of  gay  coloring  that  the  plant  affords  appearing 
in  the  bright  fruit  cluster. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  9 

WATER   ARUM 
Calla  palustris  Arum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  few  red  berries  grow  in  an 
oblong  head.  The  seeds  are  few  and  inclosed 
in  jelly.  The  spa  the  is  persistent  in  fruit. 
July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  heart-shaped,  and 
borne  on  erect  or  spreading  stems. 

Flowers.  —  The  flower  stem  is  nearly  as  long 
as  those  of  the  leaves.  The  open,  spreading 
spathe  has  a  white  upper  surface  and  is  green 
beneath.  The  spadix  is  much  shorter  than  the 
spathe,  and  is  covered  with  flowers,  the  lower 
of  which  are  perfect  and  the  upper  ones  often 
staminate. 

It  is  a  low  plant,  less  than  a  foot  in  height, 
and  resembles  the  cultivated  Calla.  Spreading 
by  a  slender,  creeping  rootstock,  it  often  occurs 
in  masses.  The  rhizomes  are  used  by  the  Lap- 
landers in  making  a  kind  of  bread.  It  flourishes 
in  cold  bogs  in  Virginia,  Wisconsin,  and  Iowa, 
and  northward. 


10  HOW  TO   KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

ASPARAGUS 
Asparagus  officinalis  Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit. — The  red  berries  are  globose,  and  about 
as  large  as  a  small  huckleberry.  They  are  soli- 
tary or  in  pairs,  and  grow  on  a  slender,  jointed 
stem  from  the  axil  of  a  scale,  which  is  really  a 
modified  leaf.  The  berry  is  three-celled,  with 
two  seeds  in  each  cell.  The  calyx  lobes  are  at 
the  base  of  the  berry.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  true  leaves  appear  as  scales 
along  the  stem  and  branches.  From  the  axils, 
along  the  branches,  grow  three  tiny  threadlike 
branchlets  which  are  often  mistaken  for  leaves. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  small,  bell-shaped, 
and  greenish  yellow.  They  grow  on  drooping, 
jointed  pedicels.  June. 

The  Asparagus  was  introduced  from  Europe, 
and  has  become  quite  a  frequent  roadside  escape. 
It  is  very  attractive  in  fruit,  making  one  think 
of  a  miniature  Christmas  tree,  with  its  gay 
decorations  of  red  balls.  The  thick  shoots  of 
spring  are  edible,  and  bear  the  true  leaves  as 
large  scales,  which  persist  on  the  base  of  the 
plant  until  fall. 


RED   OE    REDDISH  PURPLE  11 


WILD    SPIKENARD 

Vagnera  racemosa.     Smilacina  racemosa 
Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  grow  in  a  long  racemose 
cluster  at  the  terminus  of  the  leafy,  unbranched 
stem.  They  are  globular,  and  when  fully  ripe, 
in  late  September,  are  translucent  and  a  dull 
red  in  color.  Before  this,  they  present  a  pecul- 
iarly speckled  appearance,  being  whitish,  with 
many  red  dots  and  splashes.  The  flesh  is  thin. 
While  the  ovary  is  three-celled,  with  two  ovules 
in  each,  the  developed  berry  contains  but  one  or 
two  large  seeds.  The  fruits  have  an  aromatic 
flavor.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  alternate,  nearly 
stemless,  and  have  tiny  hairs  along  the  entire 
wavy  margins.  Each  is  oval-lanceolate,  with 
a  long,  tapering  point.  They  are  so  arranged 
along  the  stem  that  the  plane  of  the  upper  sur- 
face is  nearly  parallel  with  the  drooping  stem, 
thus  exposing  it  most  advantageously  to  the 
light. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  white,  six-parted  flowers 
grow  in  terminal,  pyramidal  clusters.  May,  July. 


WILD  SPIKENARD  ( Vagnera  racemose) 
12 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  H 

Both  in  flower  and  fruit  this  plant  lends  its 
attractiveness  to  the  woodside  road.  The  stem 
is  zigzag  and  somewhat  inclined.  The  rootstock 
is  stout.  It  extends  south  to  Georgia  and  west 
to  Missouri  and  Arizona. 


THREE-LEAVED   SOLOMON'S   SEAL 

Vagnera  trifolia.     Smilacina  trifolia 
Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globular  berries  grow  in  a  few- 
fruited  raceme.  They  are  red  when  ripe. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  usually  three  in 
number,  although  two  or  four  occasionally 
occur.  They  are  oblong,  and  taper  to  a  nar- 
rowed sheathing  base.  They  are  acute  at  the 
apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  white,  six-parted  flowers  are 
smaller  than  in  V.  stellata. 

This  is  a  smaller  plant  than  False  Spikenard 
or  Star-flowered  Solomon's  Seal.  A  casual  ob- 
server might  confuse  it  with  Unifolium  Cana- 
dense,  but  it  may  be  distinguished  from  it  by 
the  narrowed  sheathing  base  of  its  leaf  and  its 
six-parted  flowers.  It  grows  in  bogs  and  v  et 


14  HOW   TO   KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

woods  in  New    England,  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  Michigan. 

FALSE  LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY.  TWO- 
LEAVED  SOLOMON'S  SEAL 

Unifolium  Canadense.         Maianthemum  Canadense 
Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit. —  The  berry  is  whitish,  thickly  speckled 
with  red  until  late  in  the  season,  when  it  be- 
comes a  dull  red.  The  fruits  grow  in  a  termi- 
nal cluster,  and  are  much  like  those  of  Vagnera 
trifolia. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  ovate  to  lanceolate, 
with  a  heart-shaped  base.  There  are  usually 
two,  sometimes  three  on  the  stem.  They  are 
sessile  or  nearly  so. 

Flowers.  —  The  four-parted,  small,  white 
flowers  grow  in  a  simple  raceme. 

The  heart-shaped  base  of  the  leaf  and  the 
four-parted  perianth  are  "  earmarks "  of  the 
species.  This  is  a  tiny  plant,  growing  profusely 
in  woods,  sometimes  in  patches,  sometimes  alone. 
It  is  quite  common  throughout  southern  Canada 
and  south  to  North  Carolina,  Iowa,  and  South 
Dakota. 


FALSE  LILY-OF-THE- VALLEY  (Unifolium  Canadense) 
15 


16  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

HAIRY  DISPORUM 
Disporum  lanuginosum  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red  berry  is  oblong  or  ovoid, 
and  is  pointed  at  the  top.  It  is  pulpy,  three- 
celled,  and  three-  to  six-seeded.  It  is  usually 
single,  on  a  terminal  stem. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate-oblong  leaves  are  taper- 
pointed,  somewhat  rounded  at  the  base,  and 
stemless.  They  are  downy  beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow,  lilylike, 
drooping  flowers  grow  on  terminal,  slender 
stems.  May. 

The  Disporum  is  a  low,  pubescent  plant,  with 
erect,  somewhat  branched  stems.  The  rootstock 
is  creeping.  Disporum  means  "  double  seed,"  in 
reference  to  the  two  ovules  in  each  cell  of  the 
ovary. 

It  is  found  in  rich  woods  from  Ontaria  to 
western  New  York,  Tennessee,  and  Georgia. 

CLASPING-LEAVED  TWISTED  STALK 
Streptopus  amplexifolius  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red,  globose,  or  oval  berries  are 
three-celled,  with  many  seeds,  arranged  in  two 


CLASPING-LEAVED  TWISTED  STALK  (Streptopus  amplexifolius) 
17 


18  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

rows,  in  each  cell.  The  berries  are  usually 
solitary  and  grow  on  sharply  bent  peduncles 
which  spring  from  the  leaf  axils.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate,  light  green  leaves  are 
taper-pointed,  heart-shaped,  and  clasping  at  the 
base,  and  are  very  smooth. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  white  flowers  are 
almost  hidden  beneath  the  leaves.  June. 

The  Twisted  Stalks  somewhat  resemble  the  Sol- 
omon's Seal.  They  are,  however,  more  branched. 
Streptopus  is  Greek,  meaning  twisted  foot  or 
stalk,  in  reference  to  the  bent  peduncles.  The 
plant  is  quite  generally  distributed  over  the 
parts  of  America  north  of  North  Carolina,  Ohio, 
Michigan,  and  New  Mexico. 


SESSILE-LEAVED   TWISTED    STALK 

Streptopus  roseus  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit. — The  fruit  is  a  globose  red  berry,  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  preceding. 

This  species  is  distinguished  by  :  — 

Lack  of  bloom  on  the  under  leaf  surfaces. 

Hairy  leaf  margins. 

Purplish  pink  flowers. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  19 

Less  abruptly  bent  flower  stalks. 
Earlier  period  of  blooming. 
Georgia,  Michigan,  and  Oregon  are  its  south 
ern  limits. 

SESSILE-FLOWERED   WAKE-ROBIN 

Trillium  sessile  Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red,  sternless  berry  is  globular 
and  about  half  an  inch  long.  It  is  six-angled, 
three-celled,  and  many-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  three  whorled  leaves  are  like- 
wise sessile.  They  are  ovate,  with  acute  tips,  and 
are  often  spotted  with  lighter  and  darker  green. 

Flowers.  —  The  sessile  flowers  are  a  dull  red, 
occasionally  greenish.  They  have  narrow  sepals 
and  petals,  and  an  agreeable  odor.  April,  May. 

This  plant  of  moist  woods  grows  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  southward  to  Florida.  Minnesota 
and  Arkansas  are  its  western  limits. 

EARLY   WAKE-ROBIN 
Trillium  nivale  Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  round,  flattened  berry  is  small, 
about  a  third  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It  is  red 


20  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEUITS 

and  has  but  three  rounded  divisions.  This  and 
Trillium  erythrocarpum  are  the  only  three-angled 
Trillium  fruits.  The  berry  is  short-stemmed. 

Leaves.  —  The  three  ovate,  whorled  leaves 
are  blunt  at  the  apex,  and  have  short  stems. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  small  and  white, 
with  erect,  spreading  petals.  March,  May. 

This  is  a  dwarf  species,  only  two  to  five  inches 
high.  It  grows  in  woods  from  Pennsylvania  and 
Ohio,  south  to  Tennessee  and  Iowa. 


LARGE-FLOWERED    WAKE-ROBIN 
Trillium  grandiflorum  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red  berry  is  slightly  six-angled 
and  from  one-half  inch  to  an  inch  in  length. 
The  sepals  persist  at  the  base  as  do  also  the 
filaments,  which  remain  green.  The  berry  is 
globular,  three-celled,  and  many-seeded.  The 
peduncle  is  sometimes  three  inches  long. 

Leaves. — Somewhat  four-sided,  but  not  as 
broad  as  Trillium  erectum.  They  are  pointed 
and  nearly  stemless  —  in  the  usual  whorl  of 
three. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  large,  with  erect 


BED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  21 

and  spreading  white  petals  that  later  grow  pink. 
They  grow  on  long,  erect  stems. 

This  is  a  native  of  rich  woods  from  Vermont 
to  North  Carolina,  with  Minnesota  and  Missouri 
as  the  western  boundary  of  its  range. 


ILL-SCENTED  WAKE-ROBIN.     BIRTHROOT 
Trillium  erectum  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  red,  round  ovate  berry  is 
distinctly  six-angled.  A  dry  stigma  is  at  the 
junction  of  each  two  of  these  angles  or  ridges. 
The  persistent  dry  sepals  and  remnants  of  the 
petals  are  at  the  base.  The  fruit  is  borne  on  a 
long,  somewhat  reclined  stem.  The  berry  is 
about  an  inch  long.  The  brown  seeds  are 
numerous  and  horizontal  in  each  cell.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  broadly  four-sided, 
with  scarcely  any  stems.  The  apex  is  acute. 
The  leaves  grow  in  a  whorl  of  three  at  the 
summit  of  the  plant  stem.  At  the  time  of 
fruiting  they  are  apt  to  be  torn,  faded,  and 
brown. 

Flowers.  —  The  terminal,  solitary  flower  is 
somewhat  reclined  and  varies  much  in  color ; 


22 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


ILL-SCENTED  WAKE-ROBIN  (Trillium  erectwri) 

white,  pink,  dark  red,  yellow,  and  even  greenish 
blossoms  having  been  found.  The  odor  is  very 
unpleasant.  April,  June. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  23 

When  driving  in  early  spring  along  a  wooded 
roadway,  I  have  found  great  patches  of  this 
curiously  colored  blossom  growing  near  streams 
or  in  swampy  grounds.  I  was  quite  content, 
however,  to  admire  them  from  a  distance,  object- 
ing to  the  odor  which  a  closer  acquaintance 
entails. 

This  odor  and  the  color  of  the  flower  serve 
the  plant  a  useful  purpose  in  attracting  the 
flesh  fly,  which  Clarence  M.  Weed  says  is  the 
most  useful  insect  in  disseminating  the  pollen 
of  this  plant.  The  color  of  the  flower  resembles 
that  of  raw  meat,  and  the  yellow  specimens 
which  I  saw  were  quite  the  color  of  fat  beef. 

This  species  grows  as  far  wrest  as  Minnesota 
and  Missouri,  and  south  to  North  Carolina. 

NODDING   WAKE-ROBIN 
Trillium  cernuum  Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  reddish  ovate  berry  is  somewhat 
six-angled,  and  is  borne  on  a  short  inclined  or 
recurved  stem.  It  is  about  three-quarters  of 
an  inch  long. 

Leaves.  —  The  three  leaves  are  sessile  or  nearly 
so.  They  are  very  similar  to  Trillium  erectum. 


24  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  white  or  pink  flowers  have 
wavy-margined  petals  that  roll  backwards.  They 
grow  on  a  curved  stem  and  are  often  hidden 
beneath  the  leaves.  April- June. 

This  Wake-robin  favors  rich  woods,  and  ranges 
from  Ontario  to  Georgia  and  Missouri  and  west 
to  Minnesota. 

PAINTED   WAKE-ROBIN 

Trillium  undulatum.     Trillium  erythrocarpum 
Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  bright  red  berry  is  about  three 
quarters  of  an  inch  long,  and  is  borne  terminally 
on  a  nearly  erect  stem.  It  is  ovate,  with  the 
narrow  end  rather  pointed,  is  obscurely  three- 
angled,  and  crowned  with  the  persistent  stigmas. 
Its  three  angles  instead  of  six,  lack  of  wings, 
and  ovate  shape  distinguish  it  from  all  the  other 
Trillium  fruits.  The  three  spreading  sepals  are 
persistent  at  the  base  as  are  also  dry  remnants 
of  the  petals.  The  skin  is  thin,  the  pulp  white 
and  scanty,  and  the  brown  seeds  numerous,  ovate, 
and  arranged  horizontally. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  in  a  whorl  of  three. 
Each  leaf  is  petioled.  The  stems  unite,  forming 


BED    OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  25 

a  triangular  surface,  from  the  center  of  which 
springs  the  flower  stem.  The  leaves  are  broad- 
ovate,  with  a  long  tapering  point. 

Flowers.  —  The  recurved  white  petals  are 
marked  with  crimson  stripes  at  the  base.  This 
Wake-robin  bears  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
flowers  of  the  genus. 

The  Painted  Trillium  grows  in  profusion  in 
the  Catskill  and  Adirondack  mountains,  and  is 
found  in  damp  woods  as  far  west  as  Wisconsin 
and  Missouri  and  south  to  Georgia. 


WALTER'S    GREENBRIER 
Smilax  Walteri  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  coral-red,  globose  berries  are  in 
umbels,  growing  on  flattened  stems  which  scarcely 
equal  the  petioles  in  length.  The  berries  are 
two-  to  three-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate  leaves 
are  thick  and  green  on  both  sides.  They  are 
somewhat  heart-shaped  at  base,  but  are  seldom 
lobed.  The  apex  is  bristle  pointed. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  brownish,  and 
grow  in  umbels.  April- June. 


26  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

This  is  the  only  Greenbrier  in  our  section 
which  bears  red  berries.  Smilax  Walteri  has  a 
low  stem,  somewhat  prickly  below  and  unarmed 
above.  It  grows  in  swamps  and  moist  places  as 
far  north  as  New  Jersey. 


LAUREL   MAGNOLIA 

Magnolia  Virginiana.    Magnolia  glauca        Magnolia  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  conelike  fruit  consists  of 
many  coherent  carpels,  which  are  crowded  upon 
the  enlarged  receptacle.  When  mature,  the 
conelike  mass  is  red  and  each  carpel  splits  along 
its  outer  side.  The  one  or  two  contained  red 
seeds  escape,  but,  for  a  time,  each  remains  hang- 
ing by  a  slender  white  thread.  The  seeds  are 
slightly  bitter,  but  are  used  as  food  by  the  birds. 
September,  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  or  elliptical  leaves  have  a 
leathery  appearance.  They  are  light  green  and 
shining  above  and  much  whitened  beneath. 
In  the  South,  they  usually  remain  on  the  tree 
during  the  winter,  falling  in  the  spring  to  give 
place  to  new  growths.  The  petioles  are  short 
and  tapering. 


LAUREL  MAGNOLIA  (Magnolia  Virginland) 


27 


RED   OR    REDDISH   PURPLE  29 

Flowers. — Emerson  says:  "  The  flower,  two 
or. three  inches  broad,  is  as  beautiful  and  almost 
as  fragrant  as  a  water  lily."  It  is  creamy  white, 
solitary,  and  terminal.  June. 

The  soft  white  flowers,  amidst  the  glossy 
green  foliage,  yield  one  of  the  pleasures  found 
among  the  swamp  growths  of  early  summer, 
especially  along  .the  coast.  The  gradual  transi- 
tion from  one  part  of  the  flower  to  another  is 
interesting.  The  sepals  are  much  like  the  petals 
and  the  stamens  retain  a  petal-like  character. 
The  fruit  mass  flies  the  red-seed  banners  to  at- 
tract the  bird  carriers.  In  our  section  the  plant 
is  a  shrub ;  along  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  it  be- 
comes a  tree.  It  has  been  found  as  far  north  as 
Cape  Ann.  The  bark  is  usually  brown,  but  on 
young  growths  is  light  gray. 

CUCUMBER  TREE.    MOUNTAIN  MAGNOLIA 

Magnolia  acuminata  Magnolia  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  structure  of  the  fruit  is  similar 
to  that  of  the  small  Magnolia,  but  it  is  much 
larger.  It  is  pink  with  red  seeds.  The  resem- 
blance of  the  green  fruit  to  a  cucumber  is  the 
cause  of  one  of  its  common  names. 


30  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEUITS 

The  fragrant  flowers  are  greenish  white  and 
rather  inconspicuous,  being  so  nearly  the  color  of 
the  foliage. 

This  plant  is  rare  in  our  section.  It  occurs 
in  western  New  York  and  southward.  It  is  a 
tree  sixty  to  ninety  feet  high,  with  brown  bark. 


YELLOW    PUCCOON.       YELLOW    ROOT 

YELLOW   INDIAN   PAINT.     ORANGE 

ROOT.      GOLDEN  SEAL 

Hydrastis  Canadensis  Crowfoot  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  somewhat  resembles  a 
raspberry.  It  is  a  small  head  of  one-  to  two- 
seeded  crimson  berries.  The  head  is  ovoid  and 
blunt,  and  the  fleshy  carpels  are  tipped  with 
short,  curved  beaks. 

Leaves.  —  There  is  a  single  roundish  root  leaf 
and  near  the  top  of  the  stem  are  two  more 
rounded  leaves.  These  are  five-  to  seven-lobed, 
doubly  serrate,  and  heart-shaped  at  the  base. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  borne  at  the  top 
of  the  stem.  They  are  greenish  white  and 
inconspicuous.  The  sepals  fall  when  the  flower 


RED  BANEBERRY  (Actsea  rubra) 


32 


BED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  33 

opens.      There   are   no    petals,   just    numerous 
stamens  and  several  pistils. 

This  is  a  low,  hairy  perennial  about  a  foot 
high.  Its  rootstock  is  thick,  knotted,  and 
yellow.  The  plant  grows  in  rich  woods  from 
New  York  to  Minnesota  and  southward. 


RED  BANEBERRY 

Actaea  rubra.     Actaea  spicata,  Var.  rubra 
Crowfoot  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  cherry-colored,  oval  berries  grow 
in  terminal  ovate  clusters  about  three  inches  in 
length.  A  white  berry  is  occasionally  found. 
Each  fruit  is  borne  on  a  slender  stem,  and  has 
a  groove  along  one  side  extending  from  the  stem 
to  a  black  spot  at  the  opposite  end,  the  remnant 
of  the  stigma.  The  flesh  of  the  berry  is  white 
and  rather  thin.  The  seeds  are  smooth  and 
packed  in  two  horizontal  rows,  with  the  points 
of  attachment  to  the  flesh  on  the  grooved  side. 
This  fruit  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  develop- 
ment of  a  simple  pistil.  The  seeds  differ  in 
shape  according  to  the  position  each  occupies  in 
the  row.  July,  August. 


34  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  —  This  perennial  bears  two  or  three 
twice-  or  thrice-compound  leaves.  The  leaflets 
are  often  lobed  and  sometimes  the  lower  end 
ones  are  compound.  They  are  coarsely  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
terminal  ovate  clusters.  The  sepals  fall  when 
the  flower  opens.  The  stamens,  protruding 
beyond  the  petals,  give  the  raceme  a  feathery 
appearance.  The  stigma,  maturing  before  the 
anthers  shed  their  pollen,  necessitates  cross 
fertilization,  which  is  effected  by  small  bees. 

This  is  a  plant  of  the  woods,  and  the  fruit, 
with  its  beautiful  rich  coloring,  brightens  the 
wooded  roadside  in  July.  Near  by  the  Wild 
Sarsaparilla  drupes  are  blackening,  while  in  more 
open  spaces  the  Red  and  the  Black  Raspberries 
offer  their  delicious  fruits. 

Its  range  is  from  Maine,  south  to  New  Jersey 
and  Pennsylvania,  and  westward. 

COMMON  BARBERRY 
Berberis  vulgaris  Barberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  oblong  scarlet  berries  grow  in 
clusters,  which  are  usually  drooping.  Each 
berry  commonly  has  one  seed,  which  is  erect  and 


COMMON  BARBERRY  (Berberis  vulgaris) 
35 


36  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

is  covered  with  a  hard,  brittle  coat.  The  fruit  is 
very  acid  but  is  eatable  when  cooked.  It  makes 
a  delicious  jelly.  The  berries  are  eaten  by  birds 
and  the  seeds  thrown  up  from  the  crop  instead 
of  passing  through  the  entire  digestive  tract. 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  seem  to  grow  in  rosettes 
from  the  axils  of  the  spines.  They  are  oval  to 
obovate  and  bristly  toothed. 

This  spiny  shrub  generally  grows  in  thickets 
and  waste  grounds  in  eastern  New  England, 
having  become  thoroughly  wild  there.  It  varies 
in  height  from  one  to  six  feet.  The  wood  and 
inner  bark  are  yellow.  The  spines,  in  groups  of 
seven  or  three,  are  modified  leaf  structures  and 
protect,  against  destruction  from  grazing  animals, 
the  fresh  shoots,  with  their  leaves  or  flowers, 
which  grow  from  their  axils. 

The  flowers  show  ingenious  arrangements  for 
protecting  the  pollen  against  dew  or  rain,  and 
for  securing  cross  fertilization.  The  yellow 
blossoms  grow  in  drooping,  many-flowered 
racemes,  and  the  concave  petals  of  each  bloom 
thus  act  as  a  roof  for  the  pollen  borne  by  the 
stamens  which  they  cover. 

The  lower  third  of  each  stamen  is  sensitive  to 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  37 

the  slightest  touch.  Both  the  hive  bee  and  the 
huinblebee  come  to  the  flower  in  quest  of  the 
honey  which  is  produced  by  the  saffron-colored 
swellings  on  the  petals  and  in  getting  it  are 
almost  sure  to  touch  the  base  of  the  stamens. 
These  spring  up  and  cover  the  head  and  parts  of 
the  fore  legs  and  proboscis  of  the  bee  with 
pollen. 

"  All  down  the  loose-walled  lanes  in  archin'  bowers, 
The  barb'ry  droops  its  strings  o'  golden  flowers, 
Whose  shrinkin'  hearts  the  school-girls  love  to  try 
With  pins,  —  they'll  worry  yourn  so,  boys,  bimeby  ! " 
—  LOWELL'S  Sunthin'  in  the  Pastoral  Line. 

The  peasants  of  Europe,  long  before  science  ex- 
plained the  phenomenon,  declared  that  barberry 
bushes  caused  wheat  to  rust.  The  fungus  caus- 
ing wheat  rust  often  lives  but  part  of  its  life  on 
wheat.  There  is  one  stage  of  its  growth  which 
takes  place  on  leaves  of  the  barberry.  Its  pres- 
ence there  is  manifested  by  groups  of  little 
orange-colored  cups,  called  "  cluster  cups,"  which 
grow  on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaf. 

The  state  legislature  of  Massachusetts,  as  early 
as  1760,  passed  — 

"  An  Act  to  prevent  Damage  to  English  Grain 
arising  from  Barberry  Bushes." 


38  HOW  TO  ENOW   WILD  FRUITS 

There  are  certain  grasses,  however,  upon  which 
the  "  summer  spore  "  stage  of  the  "  wheat  rust" 
is  produced  throughout  the  year.  This  stage  does 
not  need,  in  the  spring,  the  intermediate  host  of 
the  barberry  leaf,  but  will  grow  directly  on  the 
young  grain.  Eradication  of  the  barberry,  there- 
fore, while  necessary,  and  of  advantage,  does  not 
always  eradicate  the  trouble. 

WILD    ALLSPICE.       BENJAMIN    BUSH 
FEVER   BUSH.       SPICE    BUSH 

Benzoin  Benzoin.     Liniera  Banzoin  Laurel  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  oval  drupes  are  red  and  shining, 
with  thin,  yellow  flesh  and  a  large  stone.  They 
grow  in  small  bunches,  of  from  two  to  five,  on 
stout,  short  stalks.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  or  elliptical  leaves  are 
short-pointed  at  the  apex  and  narrowed  at  the 
base.  The  under  surface  is  paler  than  the  upper. 
Yellow  is  the  fall  color. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  small,  yellow,  and 
usually  dioecious.  They  open  before  the  leaves 
appear  in  the  spring.  April,  May. 

This  is  one  of  the  early  blooming  spring 
shrubs.  The  flowers  and  leaves,  especially  if 


SPICE  BUSH  (Benzoin  Benzoin) 
39 


40  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

bruised,  have  an  aromatic  odor  which,  to  some, 
is  very  disagreeable.  It  belongs  to  a  family 
which  includes  such  plants  as  the  Camphor  and 
Cinnamon.  Its  home  is  in  damp  woods.  North 
Carolina,  Tennessee,  and  Kansas  limit  its  south- 
ern range. 

HAWTHORN    OR    NORTHERN    GOOSE- 
BERRY 
Ribes  oxyacanthoides  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  reddish  purple  berry  is  round  or 
round-ovoid,  smooth,  and  covered  with  a  bloom. 
Like  the  other  species,  it  keeps  the  dried  calyx 
at  the  summit,  and  has  similar  seeds.  July, 
August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  deeply  three-  to  five- 
lobed,  with  the  lobes  toothed  and  cut.  The  base 
of  the  leaf  is  heart-shaped  or  wedge-shaped. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  or  purplish  flowers 
grow  .in  few-flowered  clusters,  on  short  pedicels. 

This  is  a  low,  usually  smooth,  shrub,  with 
crooked  or  reclined  branches.  When  prickles 
occur,  they  are  scattered,  and  the  spines,  if  any, 
grow  singly  or  in  threes.  The  plant  grows  in 
wet  woods  as  far  south  as  New  Jersey  and  west 


HAWTHORN  GOOSEBERRY  (Ribes  oxijacanthoides) 
41 


42  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

from  Newfoundland  to  Northwest  Territory  and 
British  Columbia.  It  is  also  found  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  as  far  south  as  Utah  and  Colorado. 


EASTERN    WILD    GOOSEBERRY 
Ribes  rotundifolium  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small,  purplish,  globose  berry  is 
free  from  prickles  and  delicious  in  flavor.  It  is 
borne  on  a  slender,  smooth  stem  and  bears  the 
mark  of  the  calyx  at  the  tip.  The  gelatinous- 
covered  seeds  are  suspended  in  a  pulpy  mass. 

Leaves.  —  The  small,  roundish  leaves  are 
three-  or  five-lobed,  with  short  and  blunt  di- 
visions. The  pubescence  is  slight  if  any,  and 
the  leaf  is  shining  above. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  greenish,  with  the 
lobes  sometimes  a  dull  purple.  They  grow  on  a 
short  two-  or  three-flowered  stern. 

This  is  a  shrub  three  or  four  feet  high.  The 
branches  are  spreading,  with  short,  usually 
single,  spines.  The  steins  are  smooth.  Emer- 
son says  that  this  is  the  most  promising  of  our 
native  gooseberries  for  cultivation.  This  spe- 
cies prefers  mountainous  habitats,  and  ranges 
from  Massachusetts  to  North  Carolina. 


BED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  43 

SWAMP   GOOSEBERRY 
Ribes  lacustre  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  of  the  Swamp  Gooseberry 
is  small,  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  through. 
It  is  prickly,  although  the  bristles  are  weak. 
It  is  reddish  or  dark  purple,  and  often  grows 
in  raceme-like  clusters.  The  dried  calyx  per- 
sists at  the  summit.  The  seeds  have  crusta- 
ceous  coats,  surrounded  by  gelatinous  ones,  and 
are  suspended  by  tiny  threads.  The  flavor  is 
unpleasant.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  One  characteristic  of  the  species  is 
its  deeply  cut,  five-lobed  leaves.  The  petioles 
are  slender  and  hairy.  The  leaf  is  thin,  and 
hairy  along  the  veins  beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  flowers  grow  in 
many-flowered  racemes,  differing  in  this  respect 
from  the  other  gooseberries. 

Riles  lacustre  seems  to  be  an  intermediate 
form  between  gooseberries  and  currants.  The 
young  steins  are  quite  prickly,  and  the  spines 
are  weak  and  single  or  clustered.  The  older 
branches  are  smooth,  excepting  a  few  axillary 
spines.  The  plant  favors  wet  woods  or  swamps 


44:  HOW  TO  SNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

from  Pennsylvania  north  to  Newfoundland,  and 
west  through  British  Columbia  and  our  northern 
boundary  states. 

FETID    CURRANT.     MOUNTAIN    CURRANT 
PROSTRATE    CURRANT 

Ribes  prostratum  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  round,  light  red  berries  grow  in 
slender  racemes.  The  berries  and  their  short 
stems  are  covered  with  glandular  bristles.  When 
bruised,  they  smell  like  Skunk  Cabbage. 

JJeaves.  —  The  leaves  are  deeply  five-  to  seven- 
lobed.  The  lobes  are  ovate,  acutish,  and  doubly 
serrate.  The  leaf  stems  are  slender. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  flowers  grow  in  erect, 
slender,  several-flowered  racemes. 

Prostrate  stems,  sometimes  rooting,  are  char- 
acteristic of  this'  species.  The  branches  have 
neither  prickles  nor  spines.  The  unpleasant 
odor,  when  bruised,  of  both  plant  and  fruit  is 
responsible  for  the  name  "  Fetid  Currant.  "  It 
favors  cold,  wet  woods,  and  extends  south  from 
Labrador,  especially  along  the  Alleghanies,  to 
North  Carolina,  along  the  Rockies  to  Colorado, 
and  throughout  southern  Canada. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  45 

RED   CURRANT 

Ribes  rubrum.       Ribes  rubrum,  Var.  subglandulosum 
Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  smooth,  round,  red  berries  grow 
in  drooping  racemes,  and  in  appearance  and 
taste  are  similar  to  the  cultivated  currant. 

The  Wild  Red  Currant  is  very  similar  to  the 
garden  one,  although  that  is  probably  a  culti- 
vated form  of  a  European  species.  The  currant 
is  native  to  America,  Europe,  and  Asia.  The 
Red  Currant  and  the  Fetid  Currant  are  the  only 
species  with  red  berries,  and  the  Fetid  is  easily 
distinguished  by  its  glandular  bristles  and  dis- 
agreeable odor.  The  range  of  our  native  fruit 
is  in  cold  woods,  from  Labrador  to  Alaska  and 
south  to  New  Jersey,  Indiana,  and  Minnesota. 


PURPLE-FLOWERING   RASPBERRY 
Rubus  odoratus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  tiny  red  drupes  are  closely 
packed  together  into  a  flat,  close  head,  which 
separates  readily  from  the  broad  receptacle. 
Withered  stamens  and  recurved  calyx  lobes 


46 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


PURPLE- FLOWERING  RASPBERRY  (Rubus  odoratus) 

surround  the  base.      The  fruits    grow  in  clus- 
ters on  bristly  stems.      The  "  berries  "  are  acid. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  47 

Leaves.  —  The  large  leaves  are  pubescent  on 
both  surfaces.  They  are  from  three-  to  five-lobed 
and  finely  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  Large,  purple,  roselike  blossoms 
grow  in  loose  clusters. 

It  is  for  the  attractiveness  of  the  flowers 
rather  than  value  of  fruit  that  the  Purple- 
Flowering  Raspberry  is  known.  The  large 
peculiarly  colored  blossoms,  so  like  the  single 
rose  in  shape,  appear  advantageously  against 
the  large,  soft,  green  leaves.  "  Grape  leaves/' 
Small  Boy  calls  them,  and  they  are  quite  similar. 
The  shrub  has  no  thorns,  but  recent  growths ; 
stems,  leaves,  and  calyx  are  densely  clothed 
with  glandular  hairs.  The  plant  occurs  in 
rocky  woods  as  far  south  as  Georgia  and  Ten- 
nessee and  west  to  Michigan. 

CLOUDBERRY.      BAKED-APPLE   BERRY 
MOUNTAIN    RASPBERRY 

Rubus  chamaemorus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  consists  of  a  few  small 
drupes  borne  on  a  flat,  broad  receptacle,  from 
which  they  separate  when  ripe.  The  flavor  of 
the  ripened  fruit  is  pleasant,  being  sweet  and 


48  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

honeylike.  The  ovate  calyx  lobes  support  the 
fruit  at  its  base.  It  is  yellow  or  amber-colored 
and  usually  tinged  with  red  on  the  surface  ex- 
posed to  the  sun.  It  is  solitary  and  borne  on 
a  terminal  stem. 

Leaves.  —  Two,  simple,  roundish,  five-  to  nine- 
lobed  leaves,  somewhat  like  geranium  leaves, 
grow  on  the  unb ranched  stems.  They  are  ser- 
rate and  alternate. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  white.  Stami- 
nate  flowers  grow  on  one  plant;  pistillate,  on 
another. 

This  is  a  low  herbaceous  plant  without 
prickles,  which,  in  New  England,  is  found  along 
the  coast  of  Maine  and  on  the  highest  peaks  of 
the  White  Mountains.  It  grows  quite  abun- 
dantly in  Nova  Scotia,  Labrador,  Newfoundland, 
and  in  the  northern  part  of  Quebec.  It  flour- 
ishes in  greatest  profusion  even  farther  to  the 
north,  being  an  Arctic  plant  in  Europe  and  Asia 
as  well' as  in  America.  The  northern  berries  are 
superior  in  size  and  quality. 

The  Indians  in  northern  Quebec  cook  the 
berries  in  a  sugar  made  from  birch  juice,  and  the 
dwellers  in  the  posts  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
make  from  them  a  jam  of  rare  flavor. 


RED   OE  REDDISH  PURPLE  49 

WILD  RED  RASPBERRY 

(For  illustration,  see  page  182.) 
Rubus  strigosus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  so-called  berry  is  an  aggregate 
fruit,  consisting  of  many  small,  united  drupes, 
the  juicy  pulp  arising  from  the  outer  coat  of  the 
contained  nutlet.  The  styles  are  persistent  over 
the  hemispherical  surface  of  the  fruit,  and  the 
persistent  stamens  surround  the  base.  When 
ripe,  the  fruit  separates  from  the  white,  spongy, 
oblong  or  conical  receptacle.  The  fruits  are 
borne  in  a  loose  cluster,  either  terminally  or 
from  a  leaf  axil.  The  fruit  stems  are  thickly 
covered  with  recurved  bristles.  The  fruits  are 
red  and  delicious  in  taste  and  fragrance.  July- 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  are  composed 
of  three  or  five  leaflets.  These  are  coarsely  and 
irregularly  serrate,  and  the  lateral  ones  are  ses- 
sile. They  are  rounded  at  base  and  acute  at 
apex.  The  under  surface  is  whitish  and  downy. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  in  loose 
clusters. 

Aside  from  its  dissemination  by  seeds  the 
Raspberry  is  spread  from  the  root.  Suckers  run 


50  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

out  in  all  directions  from  the  central  root  ana 
send  up  new  shoots  in  fresh  soil.  It  is  common 
to  find  the  Raspberry  growing  in  patches  by  the 
roadside,  along  fence  rows,  or  in  corners. 

Our  Wild  Red  Raspberry  is  the  ancestor  of 
the  various  cultivated  varieties.  The  cultivated 
White  Raspberry  is  considered  a  "  sport." 

Eubus  neglectus,  or  Purple  Wild  Raspberry, 
is  an  intermediate  form  between  the  Wild  Red 
Raspberry  and  the  Black  Raspberry.  It  is  a 
plant  with  comparatively  few  bristles  or  prickles. 
The  fruit  is  borne  on  upright  stems,  is  dark  red, 
and  nearly  hemispherical.  In  cultivation  the 
fruit  is  yellow. 

DWARF   RASPBERRY 
Rubus  Americanus.     Rubus  triflorus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  This  fruit  resembles  in  appearance 
that  of  the  Low  Blackberry.  It  differs  in  color, 
being  dark  red  when  ripe,  and  also  in  the  sepa- 
ration of  the  few,  two  to  five,  grains  which  com- 
pose it  from  the  receptacle,  when  the  fruit  is 
mature.  Each  grain  is  a  juicy  drupe  inclosing 
a  single  hard-coated  seed.  The  fruit  is  borne  on 
a  slender  stem.  July. 


DWARF  RASPBERRY  (Rubus  Awericanus) 
51 


52  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  consist  of 
from  three  to  five  thin,  nearly  smooth  leaflets. 
These  are  coarsely  and  doubly  serrate. 

Flowers.  —  The  flower  cluster  grows  on  a  slen- 
der stem  and  consists  of  from  one  to  three  small- 
ish white  flowers.  The  sepals  and  petals  are 
often  six  or  seven  in  number,  while  those  of 
the  other  species  number  but  five. 

This  vine  is  ascending  or  trailing,  slightly 
woody  and  hairy,  but  has  no  prickles.  The  fruit 
is  borne  on  upright  stems.  It  favors  moist 
woods,  and  ranges  from  Labrador  as  far  south 
as  New  Jersey  and  westward. 


VIRGINIA   OR    SCARLET   STRAWBERRY 
Fragaria  Virginiana  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  receptacle  of  the  ripened  fruit 
has  become  much  enlarged,  pulpy,  sweet,  and 
scarlet  in  color ;  and  bears,  sunken  in  pits  over 
its  surface,  several  achenes.  The  lobed  calyx 
subtends  the  aggregate  fruit.  The  fruits  of  this 
species  are  globular.  They  grow  on  drooping 
stems,  in  small  clusters,  and  are  overtopped  by 
the  leaves. 


BED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  53 

Leaves.  —  The  radical  leaves  consist  of  three 
broadly  oval  or  obovate  leaflets  which  are  thick 
and  leathery.  The  leaflets  are  obtuse,  bluntly 
toothed,  and  hairy.  The  leaf  stems  are  hairy,  as 
are  also  the  stipules  at  the  base  of  the  petioles. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  in  small 
racemes  on  naked,  hairy  stems.  They  have 
many  bright  yellow  stamens,  which  form  a 
pleasing  contrast  with  the  white  petals. 

This  is  the  common  field  strawberry  of  our 
section.  The  strawberries,  aside  from  propa- 
gation by  means  of  seeds,  spread  by  runners,  and 
the  plants  are  usually  found  growing  in  patches. 
Fence  corners,  sandy  knolls,  and  around  rocks 
are  spots  which  often  reward  our  search  for 
the  berries.  The  common  attractive  color  com- 
bination of  red  and  green  is  seen  in  the  leaves  as 
well  as  in  the  leaves  and  fruit.  At  the  time  of 
fruiting  some  of  the  leaflets  are  often  a  bright 
red. 

Nor  do  the  fruits  depend  upon  color  alone  as 
a,  means  of  allurement,  but  send  forth  upon  the 
breezes  a  deliciously  perfumed  notice  that  they 
are  ready  for  guests.  Have  you  not  encountered 
it  and,  following  its  lead,  shared  with  the  robins, 
bluebirds,  and  downy  woodpeckers,  the  delicious 


54  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

feast  ?  The  wild  flavor  of  the  berries  is  beyond 
the  power  of  cultivation  to  produce  or  retain. 

A  strawberry  bearing  white  fruits  grows  in 
the  Alps. 

F.  Virginiana  grows  from  New  Brunswick 
southward  and  as  far  west  as  South  Dakota. 

Frag  aria  Canadensis  or  Northern  Wild  Straw- 
berry, described  as  a  separate  species  by  Britton 
and  Brown,  is  especially  a  northern  plant.  The 
leaflets  are  oblong  or  narrowly  obovate,  and  have 
comparatively  few  teeth.  The  fruit  is  oblong  or 
somewhat  rounded  at  the  summit.  The  achenes 
are  sunken  in  pits. 


EUROPEAN   WOOD   STRAWBERRY 

Fragaria  vesca  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  achenes  are  not  sunken  in  pits 
but  are  borne  on  the  nearly  smooth  surface  of 
the  conical  or  hemispherical  fruit.  The  calyx 
lobes  are  sometimes  spreading,  sometimes  re- 
flexed.  The  fruit  cluster  rises  above  the  leaves. 

Leaves.  —  The  thin,  light  green,  three-parted 
leaves  grow  on  stems  that  are  shorter  than  the 
flower  stems. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  55 

This  species  belongs  to  fields  and  rocky  places. 
It  is  naturalized  from  Europe,  and  is  less  com- 
mon than  Fragaria  Virginiana. 

Frag  aria  Americana,  American  Wood  Straw- 
berry, is  by  some  considered  a  variety  of  Fra- 
garia vesca,  but  is  described  by  Brit  ton  and 
Brown  as  a  distinct  species.  The  leaflets  are 
thinner  and  the  fruit  ovoid,  or  like  a  prolonged 
cone.  The  berry  has  a  smooth,  shining  surface, 
looking  almost  as  if  varnished,  and  the  achenes 
adhere  but  slightly  to  it.  It  is  an  inhabitant 
of  rocky  woods,  and  does  not  extend  below  Penn- 
sylvania and  New  Jersey.  Oregon  is  its  western 
boundary. 

THE  ROSE 

The  rose,  with  its  dainty  pink  coloring,  and  its' 
subtle  fragrance,  is  a  general  favorite.  Both  in 
blossom  and  in  fruit  it  presents  interesting  fea- 
tures of  structure.  This  is  one  of  the  plants 
that  protects  its  pollen  from  rain  and  dew  by 
pitching  a  petal  tent  over  the  stamens.  You 
surely  remember  the  overlapping,  folded  aspect 
of  the  petals  in  the  early  morning  or  on  a 
cloudy  day. 

The  rose  produces  no  honey  for  the  bee,  but 


56  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

does  offer  a  liberal  supply  of  pollen.  The  mass 
of  carpels  at  the  center  of  the  flower  affords  a 
convenient  landing  place  for  the  insect  and  a 
substantial  platform  on  which  he  may  stand 
while  gathering  the  pollen  stores,  which  are 
yielded  by  the  numerous  stamens  circled  about. 
During  his  harvesting  the  bee  carries  pollen 
from  one  blossom  to  the  receptive  stigmas  of 
another,  and  accomplishes  the  cross  fertilization 
of  the  flower  at  the  same  time  that  he  is  gather- 
ing material  for  his  "  bee  bread." 

The  fruit  of  the  rose  is  peculiar  to  itself  and 
is  known  as  a  hip.  It  is  considered  by  Gray 
and  by  Britton  and  Brown  to  be  a  fleshy  calyx 
cup  with  a  contracted  mouth  which  incloses  the 
bony  achenes.  Kerner  and  Oliver  consider  the 
hip  as  a  hollow  receptacle  which  contains  carpels 
that  are  entirely  distinct  from  the  wall  of  the 
receptacle.  The  remnants  of  the  styles  remain 
at  the  mouth  of  the  hip,  which  may  or  may  not 
be  surrounded  by  the  calyx  lobes. 

The  fruits  are  eaten  by  birds  and  the  seeds 
scattered  by  them.  Mice,  too,  are  fond  of  the 
hips  but  gnaw  and  destroy  the  seeds  instead  of 
aiding  in  their  dispersal.  Some  rose  hips  were 
gathered  from  the  bushes  and  scattered  along 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  57 

the  near-by  path.  In  the  morning,  these  were 
found  to  have  been  nibbled  or  eaten  by  the  mice, 
while  the  hips  on  the  bushes  were  left  untouched, 
having  been  protected  by  the  sharp  thorns  and 
prickles.  These  also  hinder  snails  and  cater- 
pillars from  reaching  and  destroying  the  fresh 
foliage. 

There  are  five  native  species  quite  common  in 
our  section. 

SMOOTH    OR   MEADOW   ROSE 
Rosa  blanda  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  This  globose,  bright  scarlet  hip  is 
generally  smooth  and  retains  the  calyx  lobes, 
which  are  erect  on  the  fruit  and  somewhat  hairy. 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaflets  are  five  to  seven  in 
number,  obtuse  at  the  summit,  narrowed  at  the 
base,  and  simply  and  sharply  serrate.  They 
have  short  stems  or  are  sessile.  The  stipules 
are  broad  and  dilated. 

Flowers.  —  The  pink  flowers  are  solitary  or  in 
corymbs. 

Rosa  blanda  is  a  low  bush  not  more  than  four 
feet  high.  It  occasionally  bears  a  few  prickles 


58  HOW   TO   KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

but  entirely  lacks  spines,  this  feature  being  a 
distinguishing  mark  of  the  species.  The  stems 
are  a  dark  red.  It  favors  moist,  rocky  places 
from  Newfoundland  south  to  New  Jersey  and 
west  to  Illinois  and  Ontario. 


SWAMP    ROSE 
Rosa  Carolina  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  scarlet  hip  is  globose  or  de- 
pressed-globose. It  and  the  stem  are  set  with 
glandular  hairs.  The  spreading  or  reflexed 
calyx  lobes  are  deciduous.  September ;  remains 
during  the  winter. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  have  five  to 
nine  leaflets,  usually  seven.  They  are  usually 
narrowly  oblong  and  pointed  at  either  end. 
They  are  simply  and  finely  serrate,  dull  green, 
and  pale  or  pubescent  beneath.  Even  in  mid- 
summer they  often  become  a  dull  reddish  color, 
which  js  the  regular  autumnal  shade.  The 
stipules  are  dilated. 

Flowers.  —  The  bright  pink  flowers  usually 
grow  in  corymbs,  seldom  solitary.  June- 
August. 

This   rose    of    swamps   and    stream    borders 


RED    OR    REDDISH   PURPLE  59 

suckers  freely  arid  often  grows  in  clumps.  It 
is  from  one  to  eight  feet  in  height.  The  spines 
are  stout  and  often  recurved.  Prickles  fre- 
quently occur  along  the  stems.  The  range  is 
throughout  the  Eastern  United  States.  It  is 
one  of  the  most  common  species. 


LOW   OR   PASTURE   ROSE 

Rosa  humilis  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  depressed  globular  or  globose 
hips,  with  their  pedicels,  are  hairy  and  glandular. 
The  calyx  lobes  are  not  persistent.  September 
and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaflets  are  from  five  to  seven, 
usually  five.  They  are  coarsely  serrate,  rather 
thin,  acute  at  apex,  short-stemmed  or  sessile. 
The  stipules  are  narrow  and  entire.  Bright 
reds  and  orange  are  the  autumnal  colorings. 

Flowers.  —  The  solitary  or  two-  to  three- 
clustered  pink  flowers  have  a  glandular  calyx 
with  lobed  calyx  lobes.  May-July. 

The  Pasture  Rose  is  usually  low,  about  three 
feet  high.  The  spines  are  slender  and  straight, 
and  the  bush  is  more  or  less  prickly.  It  is  a 


60 


HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 


Low  OR  PASTURE  ROSE  (Rosa  humilis) 

rose  of  dry  soil  and  spreads  rapidly  by  suckers. 
It  extends  south  to  Georgia  and  Louisiana,  and 
west  to  Wisconsin. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  61 

NORTHEASTERN    ROSE 
Rosa  nitida  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  hip  is  globular,  scarlet,  and  bears 
glandular  hairs.  The  calyx  lobes  fall.  Fruit 
is  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaflets  are  usually  narrowly 
oblong  and  pointed  at  either  end.  They  are 
sharply  serrate,  bright  green,  and  shining.  The 
stipules  are  generally  broad  and  somewhat  glan- 
dular. Bright  orange  and  red  are  the  fall  colors. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  in  small  clusters. 
June,  July. 

A  marked  sign  of  this  species  is  its  red  shoots 
with  their  prickles,  which  are  nearly  as  stout  as 
the  slender  spines.  It  is  a  plant  of  low  stature, 
about  two  feet  in  height.  Its  range  is  quite 
limited  —  from  Massachusetts  north  to  New- 
foundland. 

DOG   ROSE.     CANKER   ROSE 

Rosa  canina  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  reflexed  calyx  lobes  fall  from  the 
long  ovoid  hip,  which  is  usually  smooth.  The 
fruit  is  red  when  mature.  September. 


62  HOW  TO  SNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

Leaves. — The  stipules  are  glandular  and  broad. 
The  five  to  seven  leaflets  are  quite  thick,  nearly 
smooth  above,  somewhat  pubescent  below,  and 
sharply  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  often  light  pink  or 
white.  They  are  usually  solitary,  sometimes 
few-clustered. 

This  species  is  sometimes  ten  feet  high.  It 
has  stout  spines  with  hooks.  It  is  similar  to  the 
following  species,  but  is  not  fragrant.  It  has 
been  naturalized  from  Europe.  It  frequents 
roadsides  south  to  New  Jersey  and  eastern 
Pennsylvania. 

SWEETBRIER.     EGLANTINE 
Rosa  rubiginosa  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  ovoid  hip  changes  from  yellowish 
to  red  in  ripening.  It  is  usually  smooth,  some- 
times slightly  prickly  with  a  prickly  pedicel. 
The  calyx  lobes  usually  fall.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaflets  are  usually  doubly  and 
finely  toothed.  The  under  surface  is  densely 
hairy  and  resinous.  The  apex  is  generally 
obtuse  and  the  base  rounded.  The  leaf  stems 
are  prickly  and  the  stipules  are  broad  and  glan- 


SWEETBRIER  (Rosa  rubifjinoso) 
63 


64  HOW   TO   KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

dular.  The  foliage  when  crushed  or  bruised  is 
very  fragrant. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  smallish  but  such 
a  wonderful  deep  pink.  They  strangely  lack 
fragrance.  June,  July. 

In  this  naturalized  species,  we  have  the  Eglan- 
tine of  English  fame.  The  delicious  fragrance 
of  the  leaves  is  unique.  It  is  very  thorny,  with 
stout  spines  which  curve  downwards.  Virginia 
and  Tennessee  mark  its  southern  range. 

AMERICAN    MOUNTAIN    ASH 

Sorbus  Americana.     Pyrus  Americana  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  bright  red,  berrylike  fruits  show 
externally  their  pome  characteristics  by  the  five- 
pointed,  starlike  calyx  teeth  at  the  summit.  A 
cross  section  shows  the  seeds  in  their  five  cells 
around  the  core.  The  fruits  grow  in  large, 
heavy  clusters.  September,  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  consist  of  from 
six  to  eight  pairs  of  leaflets  with  a  terminal  one. 
Their  stem  is  reddish.  The  leaflets  are  lanceo- 
late or  oblong  oval,  sharply  serrate,  and  pointed 
at  the  tip.  The  under  surface  is  paler  than  the 
upper.  They  are  yellow  in  the  fall. 


BED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE 


65 


Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
flat  compound  cymes.     May,  June. 


AMERICAN  MOUNTAIN  ASH  (Sorbus  Americana) 

The  Mountain  Ash  Tree  is  gorgeous  in  fruit. 
The  birds,  however,  do  not  seem  to  care  for  the 
fruit,  neglecting  it  if  other  food  is  available. 
The  American  species  closely  resembles  the 


66  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

European,  which  is  the  one  usually  grown  on 
lawns.  Our  native  tree  has  a  darker  bark, 
smoother  leaves  and  stem,  more  sharply  toothed 
leaves,  and  darker,  smaller  fruit.  The  tree  is 
more  slender  in  its  growth. 

The  range  is  from  Newfoundland  to  moun- 
tains of  North  Carolina,  west  to  Michigan  and 
Minnesota. 

Sorbus  sambucifolia  (Pyrus  sambucifolia  of 
Gray)  is  much  like  the  preceding  but  with 
smaller  cymes  and  larger  fruit  and  flowers.  It 
is  a  more  northern  tree,  northern  New  England 
limiting  its  southern  range.  It  occurs  near 
Lake  Superior  and  westward. 


RED  CHOKEBERRY.     DOGBERRY 

Aronia  arbutifolia.    Pyrus  arbutifolia  Apple  Family 

Fruit. — The  fruit  grows  in  an  erect  cymelike 
cluster.  -  Each  pome,  small  and  berrylike  though 
it  be,  shows  its  resemblance  to  an  apple  in  the 
calyx  teeth  and  the  dried  stamens  which  it  bears 
at  the  apex.  A  vertical  section  shows  the 
"  core,"  and  a  cross  section  the  five  cells  with 
their  normally  two  seeds.  The  flesh  is  reddish  or 


RED  CHOKEBERRY  (Aronia  arbutifolia) 
67 


68  HOW  TO   KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

dark  in  color  and  not  very  thick.  The  separate 
fruits  are  reddish,  globose  or  pear-shaped,  and 
about  the  size  of  a  large  huckleberry.  They  are 
sweet  but  rather  dry  and  astringent.  They  often 
remain  long  on  the  bushes,  as  birds  do  not  seem 
to  care  for  them. 

Leaves.  —  The  margins  of  the  oblanceolate  or 
oblong  leaves  have  fine  rounded  teeth.  The 
petioles  are  short ;  the  apex  is  obtuse  or  sharply 
narrowed ;  and  the  base,  narrowed.  The  upper 
midrib  is  glandular.  The  under  surface  of  the 
leaf  is  woolly.  When  the  leaves  change  they 
assume  dark  red  and  orange  shades. 

Flowers.  —  The  white,  rose-shaped  flowers 
grow  in  compound  downy  corymbs. 

The  chokeberry  is  a  shrub  from  one  to  three 
feet  high,  occasionally  reaching  a  height  of 
twelve  feet.  It  is  largest  in  swamps  and  moist 
thickets  but  often  grows  in  dry  places.  It  is 
common  from  Nova  Scotia  south,  and  westward 
to  Minnesota. 


JUNEBERRY  (Amelanchier  Canadensis) 
70 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  71 

SERVICE  BERRY.  JUNEBERRY.   MAY 
CHERRY 

Amelanchier  Canadensis  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berrylike  pomes  vary  in  color 
from  a  red  to  an  almost  violet-blue.  They  are 
covered  with  a  slight  bloom.  The  calyx  lobes? 
at  the  summit,  inclose  several  dried  filaments. 
The  ovary  is  five-celled  with  two  ovules  to  a  cell, 
but  as  the  fruit  develops  a  false  partition  grows 
between  the  two  ovules  of  each  cell,  making  the 
fruit  ten-celled  with  one  seed  in  each,  if  all  the 
ovules  develop.  The  fruits  are  generally  globose, 
and  grow  in  racemes  on  rather  long,  slender 
stems.  They  are  sweet  and  delicious  in  flavor. 
They  ripen  in  June ;  hence  the  name  of  June- 
berry. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  ovate-oblong  leaves 
are  sharply  toothed,  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at 
the  base,  and  acute  at  the  tip.  When  young 
they  are  hairy,  but  become  smooth. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers,  with  their  strap- 
shaped  petals,  grow  in  loose,  drooping  racemes  at 
the  ends  of  branchlets. 

This  species  is  a  tree  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  in 


72  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

height.  It  is  said  to  fruit  sparingly  and  to  be 
soon  robbed  of  its  fruit  by  the  birds,  —  bluebirds, 
robins,  cedar  birds,  orioles,  downy  and  hairy 
woodpeckers.  I  have  been  fortunate  enough  to 
know  it  in  prolific  seasons,  when  the  trees  stood 
laden  with  red  and  purplish  fruits  for  two  or 
three  weeks. 

Amelanchier  is  a  plant  which  is  much  influ- 
enced by  climatic  conditions.  Two  apparently 
different  types  exist  east  and  west  of  the 
Rockies.  On  the  Rocky  Mountains  the  two 
merge  into  each  other  until  they  cannot  be 
distinguished. 

The  fresh  and  dried  fruits  of  one  variety  are 
said  to  have  been  used  by  the  Indians.  Dr. 
Hooker  says  they  make  a  pudding  which  is 
nearly  equal  to  plum  pudding. 

Amelanchier  Botryapium,  or  Shad  Bush,  is  a 
lower  plant,  sometimes  a  shrub.  The  young 
leaves  are  more  woolly,  the  racemes  shorter 
and  thicker,  and  the  fruit  smaller,  on  shorter 
stems,  and  more  juicy.  It  grows  in  low  wet 
or  in  swampy  woods. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  73 

COCKSPUR   THORN 

Crataegus  Crus-Galli  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  external  appearance  is  decidedly 
that  of  a  pome,  with  its  five,  persistent,  sharply 
pointed  calyx  lobes  at  the  summit.  The  seeds 
are,  however,  bony,  like  those  of  a  drupe.  The 
fruit  is  red  and  nearly  globular.  September  and 
throughout  the  winter. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  inversely  egg-shaped, 
with  pointed  or  rounded  apex.  The  leaf  tapers 
toward  the  base,  the  margin  of  which  is  entire. 
The  remainder  of  the  margin  is  toothed.  The 
upper  surface  is  smooth  and  shining  and  the 
lower  one  is  paler.  Yellow  and  red  are  the  colors 
of  the  fall  foliage. 

Flowers.  —  The  fragrant  white  flowers  grow 
in  irregular  corymbs. 

This  Thorn  becomes  a  small  tree.  It  has  long, 
slender,  sharp  thorns.  It  is  not  very  common  as 
a  native,  but  is  well  adapted  for  cultivation. 


74  HOW  TO  SNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


LARGE-FRUITED     THORN.       DOTTED- 
FRUITED    THORN 

Crataegus  punctata  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red  or  yellow  globular  pomes 
are  dotted  with  whitish  dots.  They  grow  on 
dotted  hairy  peduncles  in  leafy  corymbs.  The 
bony  nutlets  are  rounded  and  somewhat  grooved. 
The  flesh  is  dry  and  tough  but  rather  pleasant 
flavored.  The  calyx  lobes  crown  the  summit. 
The  fruits  are  abundant.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  inversely  egg-shaped  leaves 
are  acute  or  rounded  at  the  apex  and  taper 
toward  the  base,  finally  forming  winged  petioles. 
The  margin  above  the  middle  is  serrate.  The 
veins  beneath  are  prominent  and  usually  hairy. 
The  leaves  are  rather  thick  and  firm. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  in  some- 
what leafy  clusters.  The  flower  stems  are 
downy. 

This  is  a  thick  spreading  tree  with  horizontal 
branches.  It  is  not  very  tall.  It  frequently 
grows  in  thickets.  The  bark  is  rough.  The 
thorns  are  sharp  and  light  brown.  The  Duke  of 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  75 

Argyle  is  said  to  have  introduced  this  tree  into 
English  gardens. 

The  seeds  of  the  Thorn  fruits,  or  haws,  are  so 
hard  that  it  requires  a  considerable  time  for 
their  germination.  In  some  parts  of  France 
when  a  hawthorn  hedge  is  wanted,  the  haws 
are  fed  to  turkeys.  The  seeds  are  uninjured 
by  the  digestive  process  but  the  hard  coats  are 
somewhat  softened,  and  germination  is  more 
readily  secured.  It  extends  along  the  Allegha- 
nies  into  Georgia  and  Alabama;  Quebec  and 
Ontario  are  its  northern  limits. 


SCARLET   THORN 
Crataegus  coccinea  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose  or  ovoid  pomes  grow 
in  small  clusters,  two  or  three  fruits  in  each. 
They  are  bright  red,  on  slender  stems,  and  bear 
calyx  lobes  at  the  top.  The  flesh  is  thin.  The 
three  or  four  nutlets  are  deeply  ridged  along  the 
back.  The  fruit  is  rather  sweet  and  dry.  Sep- 
tember, October. 

Leaves.  —  The  broad-ovate  leaves  grow  alter- 
nately on  slender  stems  which  are  grooved  above. 


SCARLET  THORN  (Cratsegus  coccinea) 
76 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  77 

The  leaves  are  finely  toothed  and  deeply  cut, 
almost  lobed  along  the  upper  half.  The  outline 
somewhat  resembles  that  of  a  White  Birch  leaf. 
The  under  surface  is  paler  than  the  upper. 
Yellow  is  the  fall  color. 

Flowers.  —  The  rather  large  white  flowers 
grow  on  slender  stems,  in  clusters.  They  have 
a  strong,  disagreeable  odor.  May. 

This  is  a  low  tree  with  crooked,  spreading 
branches,  ashy  gray  or  light  brown  bark,  and 
stout  thorns  attaining  maturity  on  third-year 
growths.  The  plants  like  moist  soil  but  will 
grow  in  pasture  lands,  where  they  form  thickets, 
the  thorns  protecting  them  from  destruction  by 
grazing  animals.  In  New  England  this  thorn  is 
generally  larger  than  the  other  species. 

Cratcegus  macracantha  has  longer  thorns, 
thicker  leaves,  stouter  stems,  and  larger  flowers 
and  fruits.  The  leaves  are  sometimes  doubly 
serrate. 

Cratcegus  mottis  varies  chiefly  from  Cratce- 
gus coccinea  in  having  hairy  leaves,  twigs,  and 
leaf  stems.  It  is  about  two  weeks  earlier. 

Partridges  are  fond  of  the  Thorn  fruits,  and 
in  the  good  old  days,  when  snaring  the  birds 
was  not  "  prohibited  by  law,"  the  bright  little 


78  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

apples  were  used  for  bait.  "When  I  was  a 
boy,"  said  an  elderly  man  to  me  only  the 
other  day,  "we  used  to  dig  narrow  paths  in 
the  snow ;  set  up  two  sticks  with  a  string 
stretched  across  them,  and  a  loop  of  horsehair 
hanging  from  the  string;  scatter  Thorn-apples 
along  the  path ;  and  await  results.  Many  a 
plump  bird  have  we  found  the  next  morning, 
unable  to  free  himself  from  the  horsehair  loop, 
through  which  he  endeavored  to  reach  the 
edible  fruits  beyond." 


PEAR   THORN 

Cratasgus  tomentosa  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  pear-shaped,  seldom  round,  drupe- 
like  pome  is  red  or  orange-red.  It  is  crowned 
by  the  erect  calyx  lobes.  The  flesh  is  thin  and 
the  seeds  are  bony.  They  are  rounded,  and 
have  on  the  back  two  faint  grooves.  September, 
October,  and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  firm  and  leathery, 
and  are  borne  on  petioles  which  are  margined 
to  the  base  by  the  tapering  leaves.  The  margin 
is  doubly  serrate,  and  sometimes  so  deeply  cut 


BED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  79 

near  the  apex  as  to  form  lobes.  The  under 
surface  is  downy  along  the  veins. 

Flowers.  —  The  ill-scented  white  flowers  grow 
in  leafy  corymbs  on  downy  flower  stems.  The 
calyx  lobes  are  likewise  covered  with  down. 

This  small  tree  has  dark  brown  to  gray  bark 
and  sharp  axillary  thorns.  It  is  quite  widely 
distributed  throughout  the  country,  but  is  not 
so  common  in  the  Northern  states.  Central  New 
York  contains  flourishing  growths  of  it.  The 
fruits  cling  to  the  tree  until  spring. 

WILD   YELLOW.  OR   RED  PLUM 

Prunus  Americana  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fleshy  drupe  is  yellow  or  reddish, 
somewhat  whitened  with  a  bloom.  It  is  globose, 
with  a  slight  depression  at  the  tip.  It  grows 
laterally  on  a  stout,  rather  short,  stem.  The 
skin  is  thick  and  tough,  the  flesh  quite  thick, 
and  the  stone  rather  smooth,  with  quite  sharp 
edges.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  leaves  are  coarsely  or 
doubly  serrate.  They  are  nearly  smooth,  or 
somewhat  hairy  along  the  veins  on  the  lower 
surface.  The  apex  terminates  in  a  long  tip. 


WILD  YELLOW  OR  RED  PLUM  (Primus  Americana) 
SO 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  81 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  precede  the 
leaves,  and  grow  in  lateral  sessile  umbels. 
April,  May. 

Authorities  differ  much  as  to  its  range.  I 
have  known  the  tree  along  Connecticut  road- 
sides, especially  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the 
state.  The  tree  is  small  and  thorny,  and  is 
quite  prolific, 

CANADA  PLUM.     HORSE   PLUM 

Prunus  nigra  Plum  Family 

fruit.  —  This  plum  differs  from  the  preceding 
in  being  oblong-oval.  It  is  from  an  inch  to  one 
and  a  half  inches  long.  The  red  or  orange- 
colored  skin  is  tough,  and  the  flesh  clings  to  the 
flat  stone.  It  is  of  pleasant  flavor.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  obovate  leaves  are  not 
so  sharply  serrate  as  those  of  Prunus  Americana, 
nor  bristle-tipped.  The  apex  is  long-pointed 
and  the  base  wedge-shaped  or  somewhat  heart- 
shaped. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  are  larger  than 
in  the  preceding  species,  and  change  to  pink 
after  opening.  They  grow  in  two-  to  three- 
flowered  umbels.  May. 


82  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

This  is  a  species  of  more  northern  range  than 
Primus  Americana.  In  Canada  the  fruits  are 
extensively  marketed,  being  used  raw  or  for 
preserving.  The  plant  occurs  in  northern  New 
England,  but  has  not  been  reported  in  Connecti- 
cut, and  is  but  occasional  in  Massachusetts. 
It  flourishes  in  the  St.  Lawrence  valley  and  as 
far  west  as  Lake  Manitoba.  It  follows  streams, 
grows  along  fences,  and  springs  up  in  thickets. 

BEACH   PLUM 

Primus  maritima  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  purplish  or  red  bloom-covered 
drupe  is  globular  and  from  one-half  to  one 
inch  in  diameter.  It  hangs  by  a  slender  stem. 
The  stone  is  thin  and  sharp  on  one  edge  and 
rounded  on  the  other.  It  is  usually  pointed  at 
each  end.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  oval  leaf  has  a  rounded 
base  and-  an  acute  apex.  It  is  finely  serrate. 
The  leaves  are  arranged  alternately.  They  often 
have  one  or  two  glands  at  the  base.  Dark  red 
and  orange  are  the  autumnal  colors. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  profusely 
in  umbels  along  the  sides  of  the  branches- 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  83 

They   open   before    the   leaves   appear.      April, 
May. 

This  rather  low  shrub  is  a  habitant  of  sandy 
or  stony  beaches,  and  sometimes  grows  in  waste 
places  twenty  miles  or  so  inland.  It  grows  in 
clumps  and  often  fruits  abundantly.  The  plums 
are  sweet  when  ripe,  and  in  some  places  are 
gathered  and  sold  for  preserving. 


WILD  RED  CHERRY.  BIRD  CHERRY.  PIN 
OR  PIGEON  CHERRY 

Prunus  Pennsylvanica  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  light  red  drupes  grow  in 
clusters  of  from  two  to  five.  These  clusters 
grow  from  the  leaf  axils  or  take  the  place 
of  leaves  at  the  end  of  the  previous  year's 
shoots.  They  often  occupy  a  leafless  space  of 
six  or  more  inches  along  the  branches,  with 
leaves  above  and  below  them.  The  slender 
fruit  stem  is  from  three-quarters  to  an  inch 
in  length.  Each  cherry  is  globular,  about  the 
size  of  a  pea,  and  retains  at  the  tip  a  remnant 
of  the  style.  The  flesh  is  thin  and  sour.  The 
stone  is  large  in  comparison  with  the  whole 


WILD  RED  CHERRY  (Prunus  Pennsylvanica) 
84 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  85 

fruit,  is  nearly  globular,  and  has  noticeable 
grooves  and  ridges  along  one  side.  July. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oblong-lanceolate, 
with  pointed  apex  and  rounded  base.  They 
are  finely  serrate,  and  in  arrangement  are  alter- 
nate or  in  pairs.  They  are  a  bright  shining 
green  above  and  lighter  beneath.  In  autumn 
they  change  to  a  bright  yellow.  The  petioles 
are  slender  and  grooved. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  cherrylike  flowers  grow 
in  umbels  of  from  five  to  eight  blossoms 

The  Wild  Red  Cherry  is  a  small  tree  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  high.  It  is  especially  a 
tree  of  the  Northern  forests,  but  extends  south- 
wards along  the  mountains,  attaining  its  great- 
est size  in  the  mountains  of  Tennessee.  It  often 
springs  up  abundantly  over  cleared  lands  and  is 
found  along  ravines. 

George  Emerson  tells  of  using  the  dry  beds 
of  hill  streams  as  a  footpath  and  of  finding 
there  numerous  stones  of  the  Wild  Red  Cherry, 
although  there  were  no  trees  of  the  kind  within 
a  considerable  distance.  Water,  as  well  as  birds, 
seems  in  this  case  to  act  in  scattering  the  seeds. 

The  bark  of  the  tree  is  reddish  brown  with 
raised,  rusty-looking  dots,  and  has  the  common 


86  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

cherry  characteristic  of  peeling  off  in  horizontal 
strips. 

CHOKE   CHERRY 

Prunua  Virginiana  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupes,  which  are  ahout  the 
size  of  peas,  grow  in  long  drooping  clusters 
at  the  ends  of  leafy  branches  of  the  season's 
growth.  Each  cherry  is  borne  on  a  short  stem 
nearly  equal  to  it  in  length.  It  is  globular  or 
oval,  with  a  thin,  shiny,  dark  red  or  nearly  black 
skin.  Yellow  fruits  have  been  found.  The  pulp 
is  yellow,  juicy,  and  rather  sweet.  The  cherries 
vary  much  in  flavor,  but  in  all  cases  are  more  or 
less  astringent.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  or  obovate  leaves  grow 
from  rounded  stems  which  are  grooved  on  the 
upper  surface.  Two  or  four  glands  are  borne 
on  the  margins  of  these  grooves.  The  leaves 
are  rounded  or  wedge-shaped  at  the  base  and 
sharply  pointed  at  the  apex.  The  margins  are 
sharply  serrate.  The  upper  surface  of  the  leaf 
is  bright  green  and  the  lower  one  is  lighter. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  white,  cherrylike  flow- 
ers grow  in  loosely  flowered,  erect,  or  spreading 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  87 

racemes.  The  petals  are  more  rounded  than 
those  of  the  Wild  Black  Cherry.  April,  May. 

This  shrub  sometimes  becomes  a  small  tree. 
The  largest  growths  are  found  in  Nebraska, 
Indian  Territory,  and  Texas.  The  trunk  rarely 
has  a  diameter  of  more  than  two  or  three  inches. 

The  plant  is  decorative  in  fruit,  with  its  clus- 
ters of  shining,  jewel-like  spheres.  The  fruit 
of  some  shrubs  is  quite  pleasant  to  the  taste, 
while  one  cherry  from  another  will  "pucker" 
lips,  tongue,  and  roof  of  mouth,  and  set  one's 
teeth  on  edge.  The  skin  seems  to  possess  more 
of  the  astringent  quality  than  the  flesh. 

Bluebirds,  robins,  cedar  birds,  crows,  king- 
birds, hairy  woodpeckers,  and  flickers  are  fond 
of  the  fruit.  Bears  are  said  to  aid  in  scatter- 
ing the  seed.  As  for  children,  how  they  will 
fur  their  tongues  with  bunch  after  bunch  of  the 
cherries !  It  is  almost  impossible  to  remove  the 
stain  of  this  fruit  from  clothing. 

The  Choke  Cherry  has  an  extended  range  from 
within  the  Arctic  Circle  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
and  across  the  continent.  It  is  a  familiar  fea- 
ture of  roadside  and  fence-row  growth  and  often 
grows  near  streams. 


88 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


DWARF  SUMAC  (Rhus  copallind) 


DWARF   SUMAC 

Rhus  copallina  Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The    panicle  of   bright   red  fruit  is 
quite    open.      Each    drupe   is   compressed    and 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  89 

rather  short,  bearing  the  stigmas  at  the  top. 
Gray  dots  are  scattered  over  the  fruits.  The 
berry  is  acid.  Persistent. 

Leaves.  —  There  are  from  nine  to  twenty-one 
leaflets,  with  noticeable  wings  along  either  side 
of  the  stem  between  them.  This  is  a  distin- 
guishing feature  of  the  species.  The  leaflets 
are  often  entire  and  shine  above  as  if  polished. 
The  under  surface  is  lighter  and  downy.  In 
autumn  the  leaves  become  a  rich'  purple. 

Flowers.  —  The  fertile  and  sterile  flowers  are 
in  separate  clusters,  the  pistillate  in  much  smaller 
ones  than  the  staminate. 

This  sumac,  like  Rhus  hirta,  is  pubescent,  but 
may  be  readily  distinguished  by  its  winged, 
seemingly  jointed,  petioles.  The  term  "  Dwarf  " 
is  somewhat  misleading,  as  the  plant  sometimes 
reaches  a  height  of  eighteen  or  twenty  feet.  It 
is  a  beautiful  shrub,  growing  on  rocky  hills. 

STAGHORN   SUMAC 

Rhus  hirta.     Rhus  typhina  Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  dry  drupes  are  borne  in  a 
terminal,  compound,  compact  cluster.  Each  fruit 
is  one-seeded,  has  a  very  thin  coat,  and  is  thickly 


90 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


STAGHORN  SUMAC  (Rhushirta) 


covered  with  silky  hairs.  The  calyx  persists  at 
the  base.  The  fruits  are  acid.  August,  and 
persistent  through  the  winter. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  91 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  compound  and  odd- 
pinnate,  with  from  eleven  to  thirty-one  leaflets. 
The  petioles  are  red  above  and  green  below  and 
densely  covered  with  hairs.  The  leaves  are 
alternate.  The  leaflets  are  oblong-lanceolate, 
sessile,  sharply  serrate,  acute  at  the  tip  and 
rounded  at  the  base.  They  are  paler  beneath  and 
hairy.  The  autumnal  colors  are  brilliant;  red, 
yellow,  and  orange. 

Flowers.  —  The  sterile  and  fertile  flower  pani- 
cles are  usually  on  different  plants,  although  they 
are  occasionally  on  the  same  one.  They  are 
greenish  yellow.  June,  July. 

Rhus  hirta  is  sometimes  called  Velvet  Sumac, 
and  appropriately  so,  for  branches  and  stalks 
are  so  densely  coated  with  soft  hairs  as  to 
resemble,  both  to  the  sight  and  touch,  a  velvet 
covering.  This  hairy  appearance,  together  with 
the  irregularly  forked  branches,  somewhat  re- 
sembling the  horns  of  a  young  stag,  has  given 
rise  to  its  other  popular  name,  Staghorn  Sumac. 

It  sometimes  reaches  the  stature  of  a  small 
tree.  The  brilliancy  of  its  autumnal  foliage  is 
a  great  addition  to  the  hills  which  it  frequents. 
Sometimes  a  whole  pasture  is  aglow  with  it. 
For  two  successive  springs  I  have  seen  my  first 


92  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

robin  on  the  sumac  bushes,  dining  on  the  fruits 
which  have  been  preserved  for  it  through  the 
winter.  The  catbird  includes  sumac  drupes  in 
his  spring  diet.  The  taste  of  the  berries  after 
their  exposure  to  the  cold  of  winter  is  much  less 
acid  than  in  the  fall.  The  bark  and  leaves, 
because  of  their  astringent  qualities,  are  useful 
in  tanning. 

SMOOTH   SUMAC 

Rims  glabra  Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dry  drupes  grow  in  a  more  open, 
compound  cluster  than  those  of  Rhus  liirta.  The 
smaller  clusters  composing  the  fruit  panicle  alter- 
nate in  much  the  same  fashion  as  the  leaves. 
The  calyx  persists  at  the  base  of  each  drupe, 
which  is  covered  with  fine  red  hairs.  The  fruit 
is  rounded  and  flattened  on  two  sides.  September, 
and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  pinnate  leaves,  with 
terminal  leaflets,  grow  on  smooth,  reddish  peti- 
oles. Authorities  differ  as  to  the  number  of 
the  leaflets.  They  are  oblong-lanceolate,  sessile, 
toothed,  and  have  a  long  point  at  the  apex  and 
rounded  base.  They  are  whitened  beneath  and 


11ED    OR   REDDISH   PURPLE  98 

smooth.  The  foliage  is  gorgeous  in  crimsons 
and  gold  in  the  fall. 

Flowers. —  The  greenish  flowers  grow  in  termi- 
nal, much-branched  heads.  June,  July. 

This  is  a  smooth  sumac  which  does  not  at- 
tain the  size  often  reached  by  its  velvet-coated 
brother.  The  two  sumacs  frequently  grow  to- 
gether and  form  clumps.  Their  deep  roots  ren- 
der them  difficult  of  extermination.  The  berries 
are  sometimes  used  in  dyeing  reds. 


FRAGRANT   OR   SWEET-SCENTED    SUMAC 

Rhiis  aromatica.     Rhus  Canadensis  Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose,  red,  downy  drupes  are 
in  short  clustered  spikes. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaf  is  composed  of 
a  terminal,  short-stalked  leaflet  and  two  lateral 
sessile  ones.  The  terminal  one  is  sometimes 
three-cleft.  The  bruised  leaves  are  rather  fra- 
grant. In  autumn  the  leaves  are  orange  and 
red. 

Flowers.  —  The  yellowish  green  blossoms 
appear  before  the  leaves  and  are  borne  in  short 
spikes. 


94  HOW  TO  ENOW  WILD  FRUITS 

This  is  a  low,  straggling  shrub,  growing  in 
patches  on  sandy  or  rocky  banks.  It  occurs  in 
western  Vermont  and  thence  west  to  Minnesota. 
It  is  not  poisonous. 


AMERICAN   HOLLY 
Ilex  opaca  Holly  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globular  red  drupes  are  borne 
on  short  stalks  along  the  recent  growths  or  from 
the  leaf  axils,  looking  like  big  red-headed  pins 
partly  stuck  into  the  branches.  The  remnant 
of  the  stigma  at  the  summit  appears  as  a  black 
spot.  The  usually  four-parted  calyx  lobes  are 
at  the  base.  Each  drupe  contains  four  to  six 
small  nutlets,  which  are  ribbed,  veiny,  or  one- 
grooved  on  the  back.  They  are  somewhat  tri- 
angular in  shape.  The  flesh  is  yellow  and  rather 
thin.  Persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  thick,  leathery,  evergreen  leaves 
are  shining  above  and  paler  beneath.  They  have 
large  teeth  which  terminate  in  spines.  They  are 
oval  in  outline,  with  pointed  apex  and  pointed  or 
angular  base. 

Flowers.  —  These  are  usually  dioecious.  The 
small  white  or  greenish  blossoms  appear  in  June. 


BED    OR   REDDISH  PURPLE 


95 


The  sterile  or  partly  sterile  ones  grow  in  clusters, 
usually  in  the  axils.  The  fertile  ones  are 
solitary. 


AMERICAN  HOLLY  (Ilex  opacd) 


This  is  a  small  tree  with  light  gray  bark, 
lighter  than  that  of  the  beech,  which  it  some- 
what resembles.  Its  evergreen  leaves  and  bright 


96  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEUITS 

persistent  berries  make  the  fertile  tree  very  orna- 
mental. In  its  native  wilds,  it  often  presents  a 
weird  appearance,  so  overhung  is  it  with  soft, 
grayish  lichens. 

The  leaves  of  the  lower  branches  have  the 
sharpest  spines,  preventing  the  tree's  destruction 
by  grazing  animals.  On  the  upper  branches, 
beyond  the  reach  of  such  enemies,  the  spines  are 
less  prominent,  and  at  the  tip  of  the  tree  they 
nearly  disappear. 

"  0  reader !  hast  thou  ever  stood  to  see 

The  holly-tree  ? 
The  eye  that  contemplates  it  well  perceives 

Its  glossy  leaves 

Ordered  by  an  intelligence  so  wise 
As  might  confound  the  atheist's  sophistries. 

"  Below,  a  circling  fence,  its  leaves  are  seen 

Wrinkled  and  keen ; 
No  grazing  cattle  through  their  prickly  round 

Can  reach  to  wound  ; 

But  as  they  grow  where  nothing  is  to  fear, 
Smopth  and  unarmed  the  pointless  leaves  appear." 
.     — SOUTHEY'S  The  Holly-Tree. 

The  glossy  leaves  and  showy  berries  have  long 
been  associated  with  the  Christmas  season.  The 
wood  is  hard  and  capable  of  a  beautiful  polish. 
It  is  used  for  cabinet  making,  whip  handles, 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  97 

engraving,  etc.  Our  species  closely  resembles 
the  European  Holly,  differing  from  it  in  having 
less  glossy  leaves  and  duller  fruit.  Holly  occurs 
more  or  less  frequently  in  New  England  and  New 
York.  It  is  abundant  from  New  Jersey  along 
the  coast  to  the  south,  and  in  the  Gulf  States. 
Holly  is  dependent  upon  sea  air,  and  will  not 
grow  much  more  than  a  hundred  miles  inland. 
Ilex  monticola,  or  Large-leaved  Holly,  grows 
in  the  Catskills  and  along  the  Alleghanies  to 
Alabama.  It  is  usually  a  shrub,  rarely  becoming 
a  tree.  It  bears  a  reddish  drupe  containing  ribbed 
nutlets.  The  leaves  are  thin,  deciduous,  ovate, 
and  sharply  toothed.  The  fertile  flowers  grow 
on  very  short  stems  and  are  solitary.  The  sterile 

ones  are  clustered. 
f 

BLACK  ALDER.     VIRGINIA  WINTER 
BERRY 

(For  illustration,  see  Frontispiece.') 
Hex  verticillata  Holly  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  bright,  scarlet,  glossy  drupes  are 
about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  The 
dark  stigma  is  at  the  top  and  the  persistent 
calyx  is  at  the  base.  The  pulp  is  yellowish,  and 


98  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

contains  three  to  eight-  lunate  smooth  nutlets. 
The  fruits  grow  on  short  stems  and  are  solitary 
or  in  clusters.  They  appear  as  if  arranged 
spirally  around  the  branches.  The  flicker  is 
said  to  eat  the  berries.  September,  and  clinging 
long  after  the  leaves  fall. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  turn  black  in  autumn. 
They  are  oval  or  wedge-lanceolate,  acute  at  the 
apex,  toothed,  smooth  above  and  hairy  below, 
along  the  depressed  veins. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  polygamo-dioecious 
flowers  are  solitary  or  clustered  in  the  axils. 
May,  June. 

The  fence  and  stone-wall  growth  is  brightened 
in  the  fall  by  the  Black  Alder  with  its  scarlet 
berries.  These  are  said  to  be  eaten  by  flickers, 
and  its  growth  along  fence  rows  would  suggest 
its  dispersal  by  birds.  The  bushes  with  the 
berries  snow-laden  are  a  beautiful  sight.  I  was 
glad  to  recognize  these  bright  wild  fruits  in 
the  windows  of  New  York  City  florists, 
placed  amidst  fantastic  orchids  and  customary 
Christmas  decorations.  The  plant  ranges 
throughout  the  eastern  part  of  the  United 
States  as  far  west  as  Missouri.  It  also  occurs 
in  Nova  Scotia. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  99 

SMOOTH    WINTER  BERRY 
Ilex  leevigata  Holly  Family 

Fruit." — The  rich  orange-red  drupes  are  larger 
than  the  preceding  and  ripen  earlier.  They 
grow  on  peduncles  in  length  equaling  their 
diameter.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  thin,  light  green,  oval  or  oblong 
leaves  have  a  glossy  luster  on  either  side.  The 
apex  is  acute  and  often  has  a  twisted  point ;  the 
base  is  also  acute.  The  leaves  are  obscurely 
toothed.  They  are  bright  yellow  in  the  fall. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  are  per- 
fect or  dioecious,  and  grow  in  the  leaf  axils  on 
slender  stems. 

The  extent  of  this  species  is  from  Maine  to 
the  mountains  of  Virginia.  Its  range  is  much 
more  limited  than  that  of  the  preceding  plant. 
Its  yellow  autumnal  coloring  is  one  distinguish- 
ing feature. 


100  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

WILD    OR   MOUNTAIN   HOLLY 

Ilicioides  mucronata.      Nemopanthes  fascicularis 
Holly  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  pale  crimson,  nearly  globular, 
berrylike  drupe  grows  from  the  leaf  axil,  on  a 
red  stalk,  an  inch  or  more  in  length.  The  flesh 
is  yellowish  and  incloses  four  or  five  faintly 
ribbed  stony  nutlets.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  oblong  deciduous  leaves  grow 
on  slender  stems.  They  are  entire  or  faintly 
toothed  and  acute  or  bristle-tipped  at  the  apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  small,  white,  and 
polygamo-dicecious.  May,  June. 

The  long,  threadlike  peduncles  are  distinctive 
features  of  this  much-branched  shrub.  It  has 
an  ash-gray  bark.  Its  habitat  is  in  damp  woods 
along  the  mountains  in  Virginia,  and  north- 
wards. It  is  found  west  to  Indiana  and  Wis- 
consin. 

STRAWBERRY   BUSH 

Euonymus  Americanus  Staff-tree  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  rough,  warty,  crimson  capsule 
opens  its  usually  five  pods  and  discloses  the 


BED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  101 

scarlet  arils  of  the  seeds.  There  are  one  to  four 
seeds  in  each  cell. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  to  oblong-lanceolate, 
nearly  sessile,  leaves  are  bright  green  with  a 
pointed  apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  flowers  grow  in  loose 
cymes  from  the  leaf  axils.  June. 

This  is  an  erect  shrub,  sometimes  six  feet  high. 
It  grows  along  the  wooded  banks  of  streams 
from  New  York  and  Illinois,  southward. 

Euonymus  obovatus,  Running  Strawberry 
Bush,  is  low  and  straggling.  The  leaves  are  in- 
verse egg-shaped,  and  grow  on  short  stems.  The 
flowers  are  smaller  and  earlier  than  in  the  pre- 
ceding species.  The  fruit  is  usually  three-celled. 
It  has  a  more  limited  range  than  Strawberry 
Bush,  its  southern  boundaries  being  Pennsyl- 
vania, Indiana,  and  Kentucky. 


BURNING  BUSH.    WAHOO.    SPINDLE  TREE 

Euonymus  atropurpureus  Staff-tree  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  smooth  fleshy  pod  or  capsule  is 
three-  or  four-lobed  and  purple  in  color.  The 
pods  open,  when  mature,  enough  to  disclose  the 


»  \* 


BURNING  BUSH  (Eiionymus  atropurpureus) 
102 


RED   OR    REDDISH  PURPLE  103 

bright  red  ariled  seed.  The  fruits  grow  on  long, 
drooping  stems  and  hang  late  on  the  branches. 
The  fruit  is  said  to  be  poisonous.  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  thin  leaves  are  ovate  or  ellip- 
tical, pointed  at  the  apex  and  pointed  or  blunt 
at  base.  They  are  finely  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  dark  purple  flowers  grow  in 
few-flowered  clusters  on  drooping  stems. 

In  New  England  this  plant  appears  only  as  a 
cultivated  shrub.  In  New  York,  west  to  Wis- 
consin and  Nebraska,  and  southward,  it  is  found 
along  the  wood  borders.  In  Arkansas  and 
Indian  Territory  it  reaches  tree  size. 


WAXWORK.     SHRUBBY   OR   CLIMBING 

BITTERSWEET 
Celastrus  scandens  Staff-tree  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  yellow  or  orange  berrylike 
capsule  opens  and  bends  backward  its  two  to 
three  valves,  disclosing  the  scarlet  arils  which 
surround  the  seeds.  There  are  three  cells,  with 
one  or  two  brownish  oblong  seeds  in  each.  The 
fruits  grow  in  a  loose,  spikelike  cluster.  Sep- 
tember. 


104 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEU  ITS 


SHRUBBY  OR  CLIMBING  BITTERSWEET  (Celastrus  scandens) 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate-oblong  leaves  are  usually 
pointed  at  the  apex  and  at  the  base.  They  are 
slightly  toothed  and  alternate  in  arrangement. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  105 

Flowers.  —  The  staminate  and  pistillate 
flowers  often  grow  on  different  plants.  They 
form  long,  loose  spikes.  June. 

The  fruit  of  this  plant  is  highly  decorative,  and 
if  gathered  before  the  capsule  opens  will  develop 
in  the  house  and  remain  in  good  condition 
throughout  the  winter.  The  woody  vine  coils 
upon  itself,  and  climbs  over  fences  and  trees.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  glory  which  a  roadside 
nook  revealed  one  bright  autumnal  day.  The 
dark  Pine  and  White  Birch  were  growing  to- 
gether, and  winding  in  and  out  and  over  both 
gleamed  the  bright  berries  of  the  Bittersweet. 
It  was  too  beautiful  to  spoil/ and  we  left  it 
undisturbed.  It  grows  from  North  Carolina 
northward,  but  is  said  to  be  rare  in  the  White 
Mountain  country. 

LEATHERWOOD.     MOOSEWOOD 

Dirca  palustris  Mezereon  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  oval,  shining,  reddish  drupes  are 
solitary  or  from  two  to  three  in  a  cluster.  Each 
fruit  contains  a  compressed  ovate  seed.  The 
flesh  is  thin  and  tough.  The  fruit  matures 
rapidly  and  falls  early. 


106  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  — The  leaves  are  oval  or  inverse  egg- 
shaped.  The  under  surface  is  much  lighter  than 
the  other.  The  petiole  is  short. 

Flowers.  —  The  light  yellow  flowers  appear 
before  the  leaves.  Usually  three  come  out  of 
the  same  bud,  with  their  short  stalks  cohering. 
April. 

It  is  from  the  toughness  of  its  bark  that  this 
shrub  receives  its  name,  Leatherwood.  The 
wood  is  quite  brittle,  but  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  break  the  bark.  The  Indians  knew  of  this 
quality  and  utilized  it  for  thongs.  The  twigs 
are  used  in  basket  making  with  good  effect. 
The  plant  grows  in  moist  places  in  woods  from 
New  Brunswick  to  Minnesota,  and  south. 


CANADIAN  BUFFALO  BERRY 

Lepargyraea  Canadensis.      Shepherdia  Canadensis 
>  Oleaster  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  externally  resembles  a 
berry.  The  fleshy,  four-cleft  calyx,  however, 
incloses  a  smooth  nut  or  an  achene,  making  the 
accessory  fruit  drupelike.  It  is  yellowish  red, 
oval,  small,  and  insipid.  July,  August. 


RED  OH  REDDISH  PURPLE  107 

Leaves.  —  On  short,  hairy  stems  are  borne  the 
ovate  or  .oval  opposite  leaves.  These  are  en- 
tire, obtuse  at  apex,  narrowed  toward  the  base, 
densely  silvery  scurfy  beneath,  and  smoother 
and  greener  above.  The  scurf  is  often  brownish. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  yellow  flowers  are  dioe- 
cious. The  pistillate  have  the  ovaries  inclosed 
in  a  four-parted,  urn-shaped  calyx  tube,  closed 
at  the  mouth  by  an  eight-lobed  disk. 

A  low,  thornless  shrub  is  the  Canadian  Buf- 
falo Berry.  It  has  scurfy  young  shoots.  It  likes 
rocky  banks.  It  is  a  northern  plant,  extending 
down  into  Vermont  and  New  York. 


GINSENG 

Panax  quinquefolium.     A r alia  quinquefolia 
Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  grows  in  a  simple  umbel. 
The  berries  are  bright  red,  and  sometimes  in 
joined  pairs.  They  are  somewhat  flattened, 
drupelike,  and  have  two  or  three  seeds. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  grow  in  a 
whorl  of  three.  Each  leaf  has  five  leaflets, — 
seldom  more,  —  and  its  appearance  is  somewhat 


108  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

like  that  of  a  Horse-chestnut  leaf.  Each  leaflet 
is  ovate  or  obovate,  thin,  and  sharply  toothed, 
with  a  pointed  apex  and  narrowed  or  rounded 
base. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow,  polygamous 
flowers  grow  in  small,  simple  umbels.  July, 
August. 

The  root  of  the  Ginseng  is  in  such  demand 
for  its  supposed  medicinal  value  that  the  plant 
has  become  quite  rare.  Recently  Ginseng  plan- 
tations have  been  started  to  supply  the  demand 
for  the  root.  The  Chinese,  especially,  prize  it  as 
a  remedy  for  fatigue  and  a  preventive  against  old 
age.  The  Chinese  name  for  it  is  JincJien,  mean- 
ing manlike,  from  its  fancied  two-legged  shape. 
Its  range  is  south  to  Alabama  and  west  to  Min- 
nesota, Nebraska,  and  Missouri. 


LOW  OR  DWARF  CORNEL.     BUNCHBERRY 

Cornus  Canadensis  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  bright  red  drupes  grow  in  a  com- 
pact bunch  at  the  summit  of  the  stem.     They 
are  globose  and  bear  the  calyx  teeth  at  the  tip 
The  solitary  stone  is  smooth  and  nearly  globular. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE 


109 


BUNCHBERRY  (Cornus  Canadensis) 

Leaves.  —  The  upper  leaves  are  nearly  stem- 
less,  in  a  whorl  of  four  or  six  at  the  top  of  the 
stem.  One  or  two  pairs  of  scalelike  leaves 


110  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

sometimes  occur  along  the  stem.  The  leaves  are 
entire,  acute  at  each  end,  and  ovate  or  oval. 

Flowers.  -  -  The  small  greenish  flowers  are  in 
a  close  cluster,  and  surrounded  by  four  white 
bracts.  May- July. 

The  Bunchberry  is  reported  as  growing  pro- 
fusely among  the  White  Mountains  and  the 
Adirondacks.  It  is  very  attractive  in  fruit. 
"  But,"  said  a  woman  who  was  exclaiming  over 
them,  "  the  people  who  live  among  them  all  the 
time  don't  even  know  their  names  and  hardly 
notice  them."  Truly,  many  there  are  who, 
having  eyes,  see  not  the  beauties  of  their  com- 
mon environment. 

New  Jersey,  Indiana,  and  Minnesota  are  the 
limits  of  southern  range.  It  extends  far  north- 
ward and  westward. 


FLOWERING   DOGWOOD 

Cornus  florida  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  ovoid  drupes  are  bright 
red  and  grow  in  small  bunches.  They  are 
ovoid  and  bear  at  the  tip  the  calyx  and  the 
remnant  of  the  style.  The  flesh  is  bitter  and 


FLOWERING  DOGWOOD  (Cornus  florida) 


111 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  113 

unpleasant.  The  stone  is  smooth  and  chan- 
neled. September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oval  with  a  pro- 
longed apex.  They  are  narrowed  at  the  base 
and  entire.  The  upper  surface  is  shining  and 
the  lower  one  lighter  and  often  downy.  The 
autumnal  colorings  are  rich  in  scarlets  and 
crimsons. 

Flowers. — The  inconspicuous  greenish  flowers 
grow  in  heads,  surrounded  by  a  showy  white 
involucre  of  four  parts,  often  mistaken  for  the 
petals. 

This  shrub  or  small  tree  grows  readily  in  the 
shade  of  other  trees.  It  is  showy  in  springtime, 
with  its  large  white  bracts  surrounding  the 
flower  clusters  and  acting  as  signals  to  the  in- 
sects that  assist  in  the  fertilization  of  the  incon- 
spicuous blossoms.  These  bracts  are,  in  reality, 
developed  bud  scales,  which  are  not  in  this 
plant  thrown  off  when  their  protective  offices 
against  the  cold  and  storms  of  winter  have  been 
performed.  The  blossom  is  the  "  corn  sign " 
of  the  New  England  farmer. 

In  the  fall,  the  red  fruit  clusters  amidst  the  au- 
tumnal foliage  present  a  fine  showing.  The  fruit 
lingers  throughout  the  fall,  and  after  the  frosts 


114  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

have  somewhat  changed  its  taste  is  eaten  by 
robins.  The  bitter  bark  is  somewhat  similar 
in  its  action  to  Peruvian  bark  and  is  sometimes 
substituted  for  it. 

The  plant  grows  in  dry  woods  from  southern 
New  England  west  to  Ontario  and  Minnesota 
and  south  to  Florida  and  Texas. 

SPRING     OR      CREEPING     WINTERGREEN 

CHECKERBERRY.      BOXBERRY 

TEABERRY 

Gaultheria  procumbens  Heath  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  actual  fruit  capsule  is  five-celled, 
with  many  seeds  in  each  cell.  It  is  like  a 
flattened  sphere  in  shape,  and  its  flesh  is  very 
thin.  This  capsule,  however,  is  nearly  inclosed 
in  a  thickened,  fleshy,  red  calyx,  which  gives  to 
the  whole  the  appearance  of  a  berry.  The  de- 
veloped calyx  plainly  shows  its  five  lobes.  It  is 
subtended-  at  the  base  by  two  small  bracts. 

The  so-called  berries  grow  on  short,  drooping 
stems  from  the  leaf  axils.  They  are  usually 
solitary.  The  berry  is  dry  and  mealy,  but  has  a 
delightful  aromatic  flavor  similar  to  the  sweet 
birch. 


116  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  —  The  usually  few,  thick,  evergreen 
leaves  are  borne  at  the  ends  of  the  branches. 
They  are  alternate,  ovate  and  glossy  above  with 
a  whitened  under  surface.  They  are  sparsely 
toothed  with  bristle-like  teeth.  The  petioles  are 
short  and  reddish.  The  young  leaves  are  tender 
and  delicious  in  flavor. 

Flowers.  —  The  usually  solitary,  white,  nod- 
ding flowers  are  waxy  and  vaselike. 

When  we  search  woods  and  moist  banks  in 
June  for  the  "  Young  Wintergreen  "  we  are  apt 
to  find  last  year's  berries  still  lingering.  The 
new  fruits  ripen  in  the  fall,  and  serve  during  the 
winter  as  food  for  the  birds.  This  plant  is  one 
example  of  red  fruits  contrasted  with  evergreen 
leaves.  The  branches  grow  from  a  creeping  or 
underground  stem.  The  plant  is  found  in  vari- 
ous localities.  Its  range  is  southward  from 
Maine  and  west  to  Michigan. 

RED   BEARBERRY 
Arctostaphylos  Uva-TJrsi  Heath  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupes  grow  in  short  clusters 
and  retain  the  calyx  at  the  base  of  each  fruit. 
They  are  red,  and  the  flesh  is  mealy  and  taste- 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  117 

less.  The  five  nutlets  become  inseparably  united. 
Each  shows  a  line  along  its  back.  The  fruits 
remain  on  the  plant  during  the  year. 

Leaves.  —  The  thick  evergreen  leaves  are  in- 
versely egg-shaped.  The  apex  is  obtuse  and  the 
base  narrows  to  a  short,  downy  stem.  The  upper 
leaf  surface  is  shining  and  the  lower  one  paler ; 
both  are  smooth.  The  margin  is  entire  or  hairy. 
The  leaves  are  somewhat  crowded  towards  the 
ends  of  the  branches.  In  winter,  the  upper  sur- 
face becomes  somewhat  brown  and  the  under 
one  reddish. 

Flowers.  —  The  drooping,  white  or  pink, 
pitcher-shaped  flowers  grow  in  a  short  end 
cluster.  The  stigma  matures  from  two  to 
five  hours  before  the  anthers  shed  their  pol- 
len. The  opening  of  the  flower  is  bearded  or 
filled  with  a  "woolly  thicket"  to  keep  out 
winged  insects. 

This  evergreen  shrub  trails  over  rocks  and 
sandy  wastes.  It  abounds  in  the  Alps  and  in 
other  mountainous  sections  of  Europe,  as  well 
as  in  the  northern  countries  of  Europe  and  Asia. 
It  prevails  throughout  Canada  and  south  to  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Illinois,  Michigan,  Ne- 
braska, Colorado,  and  California. 


118  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD 

Its  nomenclature  is  varied,  the  plant  being 
known  as  Foxberry,  Bear's  Grape,  Mealberry, 
Barren  Myrtle,  etc.  The  fruits  serve  as  food 
for  grouse  and  partridges.  The  plant  is  used  in 
tanning,  especially  in  parts  of  Europe,  and  is 
also  used  for  dyeing.  The  Indians  smoke  the 
leaves  as  a  preventive  against  malarial  disorders. 
It  is  known  among  them  as  Kinnikinic. 

COWBERRY.     MOUNTAIN   CRANBERRY 

FOXBERRY 
Vaccinium  Vitis-Idaea  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  four-  to  five-celled,  many-seeded 
berry  is  dark  red,  acid,  and  often  bitter.  It  is 
less  than  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  The  fruits 
grow  in  short  terminal  clusters.  August,  Sep- 
tember, and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  evergreen  leaves  are  thick  and 
leathery,  with  somewhat  shining  upper  faces 
and  paler  under  ones  that  are  dotted  with  bristly 
black  points.  They  are  somewhat  similar  to 
box  leaves  but  darker.  They  are  obovate  or 
oval  and  short-stemmed. 

Flowers.  —  The  nodding,  white  or  pink,  bell- 
shaped  flowers  are  in  short  terminal  clusters. 
June. 


RED   0/k'    REDDISH   PURPLE  119 

This  is  essentially  a  northern  plant,  extending 
far  to  the  north,  and  appearing  in  our  range  in 
the  mountains  and  along  the  coast  of  New  Eng- 
land and  west  to  the  northern  shore  of  Lake 
Superior.  It  also  occurs  in  Europe  and  Asia. 
In  northern  Europe  it  nourishes  profusely,  and 
is  there  used  in  making  a  jelly  which  is  served 
with  roast  beef  and  deer  flesh.  It  is  also  used 
for  colds  and  sore  throats.  The  flavor  of  the 
fruit  seems  to  improve  towards  the  north,  much 
of  the  bitterness  being  lost.  Birds  feed  upon 
large  quantities  of  the  berries  during  their 
migrations.  Bears,  too,  are  fond  of  them. 
They  uproot  the  bushes  to  get  the  hidden  fruit 
near  the  ground.  The  shrub  is  low,  only  about 
a  foot  high,  with  the  upright  branches  growing 
from  creeping  stems. 


SMALL  OR  EUROPEAN  CRANBERRY 

Oxycoccus  Oxycoccus.     Vaccinium  Oxycoccus 
Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose  berry  is  red  and  when 
young  is  often  spotted.  It  is  rather  smaller 
than  the  American  Cranberry,  is  acid,  and  not 


120  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

often  marketed.  The  berry  is  four-  or  five- 
celled  and  many-seeded.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  small,  thick,  evergreen  leaves 
are  whitened  beneath.  They  are  ovate  and 
entire.  The  margins  are  rolled  backwards. 
The  apex  is  pointed  and  the  base  rounded  or 
heart-shaped. 

Flowers. — The  pale  rose-colored,  nodding 
blossoms  have  the  corolla  nearly  divided  into 
four  or  five  parts.  The  anthers  converge  to 
form  a  cone.  May- July. 

The  ascending  branches  rise  to  a  height  of 
from  six  inches  to  a  foot  and  a  half  from  a 
creeping  stem  which  sends  out  roots  at  the 
nodes.  Patches  of  cranberries  are  thus  formed, 
usually  in  peat  bogs.  They  grow  as  far  south 
as  New  Jersey  and  west  to  Michigan.  In 
Canada  they  extend  from  Labrador  to  Alaska 
and  British  Columbia.  They  also  grow  in 
Europe  and  Asia. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  121 


LARGE    OR   AMERICAN   CRANBERRY 

Oxycoccus  macrocarpus.     Vaccinium  macrocarpon 
Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  varies  in  shape ;  nearly 
globular,  ovate,  or  oblong.  It  grows  from  the 
sides  of  the  branches.  It  is  larger  than  the 
European  Cranberry,  and  is  the  species  which 
has  been  cultivated.  It  is  red  when  ripe,  acid, 
four-  or  five-celled,  and  several-seeded.  Septem- 
ber, October. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  similar  to  those  of 
the  preceding  species,  but  are  oblong  and  obtuse 
at  the  apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  nodding  pink  flowers  grow  in 
clusters.  June— August. 

This  variety  is  larger  and  stronger  than  the 
preceding  and,  like  it,  grows  in  peat  bogs.  It 
grows  throughout  the  north  and  in  the  states 
as  far  south  as  North  Carolina  and  west  to 
Minnesota. 

It  was  first  cultivated  in  Cape  Cod,  which 
region  still  holds  the  highest  reputation  as  a  cran- 
berry section.  Cranberry  plantations  have  been 
also  established  in  New  Jersey  and  Wisconsin. 


122 


RED   OR   REDDISH    PURPLE  123 

Eight  hundred  thousand  bushels  are  estimated 
to  represent  a  year's  production  of  cultivated 
Cranberries.  The  wild  Cranberries  are  also 
marketed. 

One  plantation  employs  a  thousand  pickers, 
who  camp  in  tents  or  cabins  during  the  harvest- 
ing. Bailey  thus  describes  the  pleasures  of  the 
workers  :  "  This  picking  time  is  a  sort  of  a  long 
and  happy  picnic  —  all  the  happier  for  being  a 
busy  one.  The  pickers  look  forward  to  it  from 
year  to  year.  They  are  invigorated  by  the 
change  and  the  novelty,  and  they  must  come 
near  to  nature  in  the  sweet  and  mellow  October 
days.  Those  of  our  readers  who  have  cast  their 
lot  with  hop-pickers,  or  who  have  camped  in  the 
clearings  in  blackberry  time,  or  who  have 
joined  in  the  excursions  to  huckleberry  swamps, 
can  know  something  of  the  cranberry  picker's 
experiences.  Yet  I  fancy  that  one  must  actually 
pick  the  cranberries  in  the  drowsy  Indian  sum- 
mer to  know  fully  what  cranberry  picking  is 
like."  —  Evolution  of  our  Native  Fruits. 


124  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

PHILADELPHIA   GROUND    CHERRY 
Physalis  Philadelphia  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  Like  all  the  other  fruits  of  this 
genus  the  berry  is  inclosed  in  the  enlarged 
calyx.  When  ripe,  the  berry  fills  the  calyx  or 
even  opens  it  at  the  mouth.  The  undeveloped 
fruit  calyx  shows  its  ten  angles  and  is  depressed 
about  the  stem.  The  berry  is  reddish  or  purple, 
quite  large,  and  pulpy.  It  grows  on  a  slender 
stem  from  the  leaf  axil.  The  numerous  seeds 
are  flattened. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  to  ovate-lanceolate  leaves 
usually  slant  toward  the  base.  They  are  entire 
or  slightly  wavy.  They  are  smooth  or  a  trifle 
hairy  above. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  yellowish  brown 
with  purplish  centers.  July-September. 

This  annual  is  nearly  smooth  and  is  tall  and  up- 
right. It  ranges  from  Rhode  Island  to  Georgia 
and  Texas  and  west  to  Minnesota  and  Nebraska. 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  125 

NIGHTSHADE.     BITTERSWEET 
Solanum  Dulcamara  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  oval  berries  grow  in  clusters 
from  the  sides  of  the  stem.  In  ripening,  the 
berries  change  from  green  through  yellow  and 
orange  to  a  bright  red,  often  making  a  brilliant 
array  of  colors  in  the  cluster.  The  berries  are 
translucent  with  a  thin  skin,  red  pulp,  and  many 
seeds  arranged  around  an  axial  placenta.  The 
five-pointed,  starlike  calyx  is  at  the  base  of  the 
berry,  which  is  borne  on  a  stem  about  as  long  as 
itself.  The  general  consensus  of  opinion  seems 
to  be  that  the  berry  is  poisonous,  especially  if 
eaten  in  any  quantity.  It  begins  to  ripen  in 
July  and  hangs  long  upon  the  vines. 

Thoreau,  in  describing  this  fruit,  says :  "  The 
Solanum  Dulcamara  berries  are  another  kind 
which  grow  in  drooping  clusters.  I  do  not 
know  any  clusters  more  graceful  and  beautiful 
than  these  drooping  cymes  of  scented  or  translu- 
cent, cherry-colored,  elliptical  berries.  .  .  .  Yet 
they  are  considered  poisonous ;  not  to  look 
at  surely.  .  .  .  But  why  should  they  not  be 
poisonous  ?  Would  it  not  be  bad  taste  to  eat 


NIGHTSHADE  (Solanum  Dulcamara) 


126 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  127 

these  berries  which  are  ready  to  feed  another 
sense  ?  " 

Leaves.  —  The  lower  leaves  are  heart-shaped 
and  the  upper  ones  have  two  lateral  lobes  at  the 
base.  These  lobes  are  sometimes  separated  from 
the  leaf,  forming  two  lateral  leaflets.  The  leaves 
are  entire  and  alternate. 

Flowers.  —  The  blue,  five-parted,  wheel-shaped 
flowers  are  rendered  attractive  by  the  contrast  of 
the  blue  corolla  with  the  yellow  conical  group  of 
stamens  in  the  center. 

The  Nightshade  is  a  climbing  vine,  sometimes 
from  five  to  six  feet  long.  My  most  vivid  recol- 
lection of  it  is,  as  seen  from  a  bridge,  growing 
over  a  small  tree  by  the  side  of  the  river.  The 
tree  seemed  hung  with  the  graceful,  decorative 
clusters.  It  is  a  member  of  the  family  which 
includes  such  cultivated  plants  as  the  potato  and 
egg  plant. 

It  was  introduced  from  Europe.  It  grows  by 
the  side  of  streams,  around  houses,  and  some- 
times trails  over  the  stone  walls  by  the  road- 
sides. 


MATRIMONY  VINE  (Lycium  vulgare) 
128 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  129 

MATRIMONY   VINE 
Lycium  vulgare  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  oval  orange-red  berries  are  soli- 
tary or  few  in  the  leaf  axils.  They  are  small, 
with  the  calyx  persistent  at  the  base. 

Leaves.  —  The  small  leaves  are  oblong  or  lan- 
ceolate and  taper  into  a  short  stem.  The  mar- 
gins are  entire. 

Flowers.  —  The  purplish  or  greenish  flowers 
are  solitary  or  two  to  five  in  the  leaf  axils. 

In  cultivation,  this  woody  shrub  is  trained 
over  trellises.  When  growing  wild,  it  trails  in 
masses  over  any  handy  support.  Its  branches 
are  long  and  drooping.  The  vine  is  usually 
smooth.  It  often  occurs  as  an  escape  from 
cultivation. 

PARTRIDGE   BERRY 

Mitchella  repens  Madder  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  scarlet  berrylike  fruit  is  really  a 
double  drupe,  bearing  at  the  summit  the  teeth  of 
the  two  flower  calices.  Each  ovary  is  four-celled 
with  one  ovule  to  a  cell,  and  some  fruits  have  four 


130  HOW   TO   KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

hard  nutlets  to  each  flower ;  but  often  some  of 
the  ovules  do  not  develop.  The  fruit  is  edible 
but  rather  tasteless.  The  pulp  is  white  and 
mealy.  The  berries  remain  on  the  vines  for  a 
long  time,  and  it  is  quite  common  to  find  flowers, 
fruit,  and  even  tiny  green  fruits  at  the  same 
time. 

Leaves.  —  The  round-ovate  or  heart-shaped, 
shiny  leaves  vary  from  light  to  dark  green. 
Some  have  prominent  white  veinings.  They 
grow  in  pairs  on  short  stems  and  are  evergreen. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  grow  in  pairs  and  are 
united  by  their  ovaries.  They  are  very  dainty 
with  their  white  linings  of  soft  fine  hairs  at  the 
throat  and  an  outside  coloring  of  pink.  They 
also  have  a  delicate  fragrance. 

This  vine  and  its  near  relative,  the  Quaker 
Ladies,  are  our  northern  representatives  of  the 
family  which  includes  such  tropical  plants  as 
coffee  and  cinchona,  the  latter  yielding  quinine. 
Mitchella  repens,  besides  belonging  to  our  range, 
grows  in  the  forests  of  Mexico  and  Japan.  It 
frequents  dry  woods,  especially  pine  forests,  and 
trails  its  vines  in  masses  around  the  foot  of  trees, 
the  base  of  rocks,  and  over  many  a  pine  needle 
carpeted  space.  The  contrast  of  the  green  vine 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  133 

and  its  bright  berries  with  the  brown  of  the 
needles  is  so  charming  that  one  wonders  that  it 
has  not  been  copied  for  our  indoor  carpetings. 
A  low  glass  dish  filled  with  wood  earth  and  con- 
taining a  root  or  two  of  Ebony  Fern,  a  little 
Rattlesnake  Plantain,  and  a  few  vines  of  the  Par- 
tridge Berry  will  serve  all  winter  to  shut-ins  as 
a  most  delightful  reminder  of  the  woods. 

The  plant  is  named  for  Dr.  John  Mitchell,  an 
early  Virginian  botanist. 


RED-BERRIED   ELDER 

Sambucus  pubens.     Sambucus  racemosa 
Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit  —  The  red  berrylike  drupes  grow  in 
compact  pyramidal  clusters.  Each  fruit  is  glob- 
ular and  crowned  with  remnants  of  calyx  and 
style.  The  inclosed  seedlike  nutlets  number 
from  three  to  five.  June. 

Leaves.  —  The  opposite  leaves  are  compound 
with  five  to  seven  ovate-lanceolate  leaflets.  These 
are  finely  toothed  and  acute. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  cream- white  flowers, 
with  their  pale  yellow  stamens,  grow  in  com- 
pound pyramidal  cymes.  April,  May. 


134  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

For  two  weeks  I  had  been  looking,  without 
success,  for  the  bright  red  berries  which  this 
Elder  bears.  When  almost  in  despair  over  se- 
curing a  specimen,  I  chanced  to  be  trolleying 
in  the  vicinity  of  Mt.  Tom,  when  my  eye  sud- 
denly caught  a  gleam  of  red  against  a  rocky 
background.  I  knew  at  once  that  it  was  my 
coveted  prize.  Fortunately  a  switch  was  near, 
and  while  the  car  waited  there  I  was  able  to 
hurry  back,  get  my  specimen,  and  resume  my 
journey.  This  especial  plant  wras  growing  out 
of  a  wall  of  rock.  In  general,  it  is  found  in 
rocky  woodlands  and  has  a  wide  rang'e  from 
New  Brunswick  south  to  Georgia  and  westward 
across  the  continent.  A  variety  with  white 
berries  is  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  Catskill 
Mountains. 

The  shrub  grows  from  two  to  twelve  feet 
high.  The  older  stems  are  brown  and  warty. 
In  blossom  and  in  fruit  the  plant  may  be  readily 
distinguished  from  the  Common  Elder,  and  at 
other  times  the  brown  pith  in  the  young  shoots 
serves  as  a  determining  feature.  The  fruited 
shrub,  at  a  distance,  looks  something  like  a 
sumac. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  135 


HOBBLE   BUSH.     WAYFARING    TREE 

Viburnum  alnifolium.     Viburnum  lantanoides 
Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  large  ovate  drupes  are  coral-red, 
turning  later  almost  black.  Each  contains  an 
oblong-oval  nut,  which  is  obtusely  pointed  and 
grooved  on  both  sides.  The  drupes  grow  in 
scanty  clusters. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  large,  light  green, 
heart-shaped,  abruptly  pointed,  sharply  toothed, 
and  have  rusty  wool  on  the  veins  beneath. 
In  the  fall  the  leaves  turn  to  red  and  orange 
shades. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  in  broad,  showy 
cymes  with  larger,  showy,  usually  sterile  flowers 
around  the  margin.  May. 

The  reclining  branches  of  this  shrub  often 
take  root,  making  loops  which  "trip  the  way- 
farer." "  Hobble  Bush "  is  a  name  which  is 
suggested  by  the  appearance  of  the  plant  with 
its  looping  branches.  It  grows  in  low,  moist 
woods  from  New  Brunswick  to  Ontario  and 
south  to  Pennsylvania  and  in  the  mountains  to 
North  Carolina. 


\ 


HOBBLE  BUSH  (Viburnum  alnifolium) 


136 


CRANBERRY  TREE  (Viburnum  Opidus) 


138 


BED   OR  EEDDISH  PURPLE  139 

CRANBERRY   TREE.      GUELDER   ROSE 
Viburnum  Opulus  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  beautiful  globose  drupes  grow  in 
terminal  cymes.  They  are  bright  red  when  ripe, 
having  changed  from  green  to  greenish  yellow 
and  yellowish  red.  The  separate  fruits  are 
about  the  size  of  Choke  Cherries.  At  the  tip 
are  traces  of  the  calyx  teeth.  The  fruits  are 
fleshy  and  inclose  a  flat  stone  with  a  thin  crus- 
taceous  coat.  The  stone  is  without  furrows  or 
grooves.  The  fruit  is  acid  and  a  trifle  bitter. 
August,  and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  opposite.  They  are 
strongly  three-nerved  and  three-lobed.  They  are 
sparingly  toothed,  being  usually  entire  along  the 
margins  of  the  sinuses.  The  developed  leaves 
are  dark  green  above  and  paler  beneath.  Dull 
red  or  purple  are  the  autumn  colors. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  in  a  flat 
cyme.  The  marginal  ones  are  larger  and  neu- 
tral, the  central  ones  smaller  and  perfect.  June, 
July. 

This  is  an  interesting  and  attractive  shrub. 
In  the  spring,  it  bears  its  showy  white  flower 


140  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

clusters,  with  their  margins  of  large  flowers, 
"just  for  show,"  to  attract  the  roving  insect  to 
the  encircled  blooms.  By  cultivation  of  the 
European  form,  the  central  flowers  have  been 
changed  to  large  neutral  ones  like  those  at  the 
margin,  the  flower  head  has  become  spherical, 
and  the  Snowball  Tree  of  the  garden  is  the  re- 
sult. The  wild  shrub  not  only  yields  a  graceful 
bloom,  but  is  most  attractive  in  fruit,  with  its 
erect  clusters  of  brilliantly  colored  drupes. 
These  lose  somewhat  of  their  brilliancy  after 
frost,  but  are  conspicuous  throughout  the  winter. 
The  fruits  make  a  good  jelly  and  an  agreeable 
sauce. 

The  plant  extends  north  from  Pennsylvania 
to  New  Brunswick  and  west  to  Michigan,  South 
Dakota,  and  Oregon. 


FEW-FLOWERED    CRANBERRY   TREE 
Viburnum  pauciflorum  Honeysuckle  Family 

This  species  is  fewer  flowered  than  the  preced- 
ing and  lacks  the  marginal  neutral  flowers.  The 
fruit  clusters  are  small.  The  drupes  are  light 
red  and  contain  flat,  scarcely  grooved  stones. 


RED   OR  REDDISH  PURPLE  141 

It  grows  in  cold  mountainous  woods  nearly 
throughout  Canada,  in  New  England,  and  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  the  Rockies  in  Colorado  and 
Washington. 

TINKER'S    WEED.       WILD    OR   WOOD 

IPECAC.     WILD  COFFEE.     HORSE 

GINSENG.      FEVERWORT 

Trioateum  perfoliatum  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  rather  dry  orange  or  scarlet 
drupes  are  borne  at  the  junction  of  leaf  and 
plant  stems.  The  long  lobed  calyx  remains 
attached  to  the  fruit  summit.  The  drupes  are 
covered  with  fine  hairs  and  inclose  three  bony 
nutlets. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  ovate  to  broadly 
oval,  acute  at  the  apex,  abruptly  or  gradually 
narrowed  at  the  base,  and  stemless  or  united 
about  the  stem.  They  are  soft  pubescent 
beneath  and  somewhat  hairy  above. 

Flowers.  —  The  purplish  brown  flowers  are 
usually  clustered.  June. 

This  is  a  coarse  hairy  herb,  growing  from 
Canada  and  New  England  southward  to  Iowa 
and  Alabama. 


142  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


INDIAN    CURRANT.     CORAL   BERRY 

Symphoricarpos  Symphoricarpos.   Symphoricarpos  vulgaiis 
Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  varies  in  ripening  from 
coral-red  to  reddish  purple.  It  is  small,  ovoid- 
globose,  and  bears  the  calyx  teeth  at  the  sum- 
mit. The  skin  is  thin ;  the  flesh  is  dry,  mealy, 
and  insipid ;  and,  although  there  are  four  cells, 
the  seeds  are  but  two  in  number,  two  ovules 
being  abortive.  The  seeds  are  white  and  hard. 
The  berries  grow  in  clusters  from  the  axils  of 
most  of  the  leaves.  The  fruits  persist  during 
the  winter. 

Leaves.  —  The  entire  oval  or  ovate  leaves  are 
on  short  stems  and  opposite.  They  are  a  dull 
green  and  somewhat  hairy  beneath.  They  are 
usually  obtuse  both  at  apex  and  base. 

Flowers.  —  The  pinkish  bell-shaped  flowers 
are  somewhat  hairy  at  the  throat.  They 
grow  in  clusters  in  the  leaf  axils.  July. 

This  plant  is  most  prolific  in  fruit,  which  per- 
sists after  the  leaves  have  dried  and  fallen.  The 
clusters  extend  nearly  the  length  of  the  stem 
and  bend  it  with  their  weight. 


INDIAN  CURRANT  (Symphoricarpos  Symphoricarpos) 
143 


144  no w  TO  KSO\V  WILD  FRUITS 

The  plant  grows  wild  in  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania,  along  the  banks  of  the  Delaware 
River,  in  New  York,  and  west  to  Dakota.  It 
reaches  Georgia  and  Texas  on  the  south.  It  is 
often  cultivated  and  sometimes  escapes. 


AMERICAN    WOODBINE.       ITALIAN     OR 
PERFOLIATE   HONEYSUCKLE 

Louie  era  Caprifolium.     Louie  era  grata 
Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red  berries  are  in  a  sessile  termi- 
nal cluster,  subtended  by  a  united  pair  of  leaves. 
The  calyx  teeth  crown  the  summit  of  the  several- 
seeded  fruit. 

Leaves.  —  The  two  or  three  upper  pairs  are 
united  by  their  bases.  The  lower  ones  are 
without  stems  or  have  very  short  stems.  They 
are  obovate  or  oval  and  entire. 

Flowers.  —  The  fragrant  flowers  are  whitish 
with  purple  tubes.  They  are  strongly  two- 
lipped. 

New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  are  the  north- 
ern limits  of  this  climbing  vine  in  its  wild  state. 
It  is  often  cultivated,  and  sometimes  escapes. 


EED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  145 

HAIRY  HONEYSUCKLE 

Louie  era  hirsuta  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  red  berries  grow  in  short  termi- 
nal spikes.  The  calyx  teeth  are  at  the  summit 
arid  the  berry  is  several-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  large  and  have  hairy 
margins  and  under  leaf  surfaces.  The  base  is 
rounded  or  narrowed  and  the  apex  obtuse.  One 
or  two  upper  pairs  have  united  bases,  the  others 
are  stemless  or  have  very  short  stems. 

Flowers.  —  The  orange-yellow  blossoms  grow 
in  short  interrupted  spikes.  They  are  two-lobed 
and  the  tube  is  clammy-pubescent.  July. 

This  twining  shrub  is  a  coarse  species,  with 
large  leaves  and  hairy  branches,  leaves,  and 
flowers.  It  grows  from  Maine  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  west  to  Michigan  and  Minnesota. 

SMOOTH-LEAVED  OR  GLAUCOUS  HONEY- 
SUCKLE 

Lonicera   dioica.      Lonicera   glauca 
Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  form  a  compact  cluster, 
composed  of  a  series  of  usually  three  whorls. 


146  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

The  whorls  are  more  or  less  imperfect,  owing  to 
the  nondevelopment  of  some  of  the  berries. 
The  cluster  is  borne  on  a  short  terminal  stem. 
Each  fruit  is  several-seeded  and  has  persistent 
calyx  teeth  at  the  summit.  The  berries  are 
without  stems.  They  vary  in  color  from  orange 
to  red,  the  red  ones  being  the  ripest.  They  are 
covered  with  a  bloom.  The  pulp  is  similar  in 
color  to  the  skin.  The  berry  is  translucent. 
July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  mostly  oblong  and 
from  two  to  three  inches  in  length.  The  bases 
of  the  one  to  four  upper  pairs  are  united. 
The  leaves  not  united  by  their  bases  are  stemless. 
The  terminal  pair  varies  in  shape  from  oblong 
to  oval,  and  with  its  rich  green  coloring  forms  a 
most  attractive  setting  for  the  bright  berry 
cluster  which  it  surrounds.  The  leaf  margins 
are  entire  and  the  under  surface  is  whitened. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  grow  in  terminal 
clusters.  *  They  are  greenish  yellow,  sometimes 
tinged  with  red.  The  tube  expands  into  two 
lips,  the  lower  one  narrowed  and  the  upper  one 
broader  and  four-lobed.  The  inside  of  the  tube, 
the  style,  and  the  bases  of  the  filaments  are 
hairy. 


SMOOTH-LEAVED  HONEYSUCKLE  (Lonicera  dioica) 
H7 


148  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

This  twining  vine  is  from  three  to  five  feet  in 
length,  and  is  a  most  attractive  feature  of  the 
wooded  roadside  in  July,  when  the  brilliant  ber- 
ries gleam  from  their  green  background.  The 
plant  has  a  northern  range  from  New  England 
and  Pennsylvania. 


TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE.  CORAL 
HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicei  a  sempei  virens  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  bright,  translucent,  shining, 
coral-red  berries  bear  the  tiny  calyx  teeth  at 
the  summits.  They  are  ovoid  and  several- 
seeded  and  grow  in  a  spike  of  more  or  less 
fully  developed  whorls,  somewhat  separated  from 
each  other.  There  are  usually  three  or  four  of 
these  whorls  with  sometimes  a  solitary  berry  at 
the  top.  August-October. 

Leaves.  —  The  entire  leaves  are  smooth  and 
are  whitened  on  the  under  surface.  They  are 
in  pairs,  with  the  bases  of  the  upper  pairs  joined. 
The  flower  and  fruit  clusters  proceed  from  this 
united  pair  of  leaves.  They  are  evergreen  at 
the  south  and  deciduous  at  the  north. 


TRUMPET  HONEYSUCKLE  (Lonicera  sempervirens) 
149 


150  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  long  trumpet-shaped  flowers 
grow  in  interrupted  spikes.  They  are  red  or 
yellowish.  The  humming  bird  is  one  of  the 
principal  agents  in  securing  the  cross  fertiliza- 
tion of  the  flowers.  April-October. 

Here  is  another  of  our  wild  climbing  vines 
that  is  beautiful  in  cultivation.  Flowers  and 
fruit  often  occur  together  well  into  the  fall.  It 
grows  in  copses  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut, 
southward  and  west  to  Nebraska. 


SWAMP   FLY  HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  oblongifolia  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  reddish  or  purple  ovoid  berries 
grow  in  pairs  on  long  slender  stems.  They  are 
usually  distinct,  but  occasionally  become  some- 
what united. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval-oblong  leaves  do  not  have 
hairy  margins.  They  are  nearly  smooth  on  both 
sides  when  the  leaves  are  mature. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow  pair  of  flowers 
is  borne  on  a  slender  stem  from  the  leaf  axils. 

This  is  a  bog  or  swamp   shrub    growing   in 


RED   OR   REDDISH  PURPLE  151 

northern    New   England   and   New    York,    and 
west  to  Minnesota. 


AMERICAN   FLY   HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  ciliata  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  Two  globular  or  ovoid  red  berries 
are  borne  on  the  same  stem,  which  grows  from 
the  leaf  angles.  The  berries  are  not  united  at 
the  base,  and  each  bears  at  the  summit  minute 
calyx  teeth.  The  berries  are  several-seeded. 
The  bracts  at  their  bases  are  minute.  June. 

Leaves.  —  The  thin,  light  green  leaves  are 
oblong-ovate,  somewhat  rounded  or  heart-shaped 
at  the  base  and  acutish  at  the  apex.  They  are 
opposite  and  have  hairy  margins. 

Flowers.  —  The  yellowish  green,  five-lobed 
flowers  grow  in  pairs  on  a  slender  stem. 

This  is  a  straggling  shrub  from  three  to  five 
feet  high.  The  stems  are  brownish.  It  grows 
in  rocky  woods  from  New  Brunswick  to  Penn- 
sylvania and  west  to  Minnesota. 


BLACK   OR  DARK   PURPLE 


BLACK    OR    DARK   PURPLE 

WHITE    CLINTONIA 
Clintonia  umbellulata  Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  of  the  White  Clintonia  is 
black,  not  quite  so  large  as  that  of  the  Yellow, 
and  has  few  seeds.  The  fruits  grow  in  umbels 
at  the  top  of  the  hairy  stem,  which  sometimes 
bears  also  a  single  small  leaf. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oval  or  oblong,  with 
hairy  margins.  The  stalks  of  the  two  to  four 
leaves  sheathe  the  base  of  the  flower  stem. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  white,  often  speck- 
led with  green  or  purple.  They  are  fragrant. 

This  species  is  confined  to  rich  woods  in 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  from  New  York  to 
Georgia. 


155 


156  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 


STAR-FLOWERED   SOLOMON'S   SEAL 

Vagnera  stellata.     Smilacina  stellata 
Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  few  berries  grow  in  a  terminal 
cluster.  They  are,  according  to  Mathews, 
spotted  at  first  and  later  becoming  dull  red. 
Gray  says  they  are  blackish,  and  Britton  and 
Brown  that  they  are  green  with  six  black 
stripes,  or  black.  They  are  rather  larger  than 
the  fruits  of  Wild  Spikenard,  quite  hard  and 
opaque. 

Leaves.  —  The  oblong-lanceolate  leaves  are 
slightly  clasping.  The  apex  is  acute  or  blunt. 
The  leaf  is  flat  or  a  trifle  concave. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  starlike  flowers  grow 
in  a  small  terminal  raceme. 

This  is  a  smaller  species  than  V.  racemosa, 
seldom  growing  over  a  foot  high.  Its  rootstock 
is  rather-  slender.  It  favors  banks  of  streams 
and  moist  meadows.  It  extends  south  to  New 
Jersey  and  west  to  Kansas,  and,  according  to 
Britton  and  Brown,  to  California. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  157 

HAIRY   SOLOMON'S   SEAL 
Polygonatum  biflorum  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  is  nearly  black,  with  a 
bloom.  It  is  pulpy,  three-celled,  with  one  or 
two  seeds  in  each  cell.  The  stigma  is  at  the 
summit.  The  berries  grow  on  slender,  drooping 
stems  from  the  axils,  and  are  solitary,  or  two  in 
a  cluster,  rarely  three.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  light  green  leaves  are  oblong- 
ovate,  alternate,  and  sessile.  They  are  parallel- 
ridged  and  acute  at  the  apex.  The  under 
surface  is  whiter  and  hairy. 

Flowers.  —  The  pale  green  flowers  look  like 
tassels  hanging  in  drooping  clusters  of  from  one 
to  three  flowers  from  the  leaf  axils.  May. 

The  scars  left  on  the  thick  horizontal  root- 
stocks,  where  the  stalks  of  preceding  years  grew, 
give  rise  to  this  plant's  common  name,  Solo- 
mon's Seal.  These  marks,  which  are  indicative 
of  the  age  of  the  root,  are  somewhat  like  the 
impression  of  a  wax  seal.  This  is  a  graceful, 
low,  wood  plant,  with  a  curving  stem  and  droop- 
ing flower  and  fruit  clusters. 


HAIRY  SOLOMON'S  SEAL  (Polygonatum  biflorum) 
158 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  159 


SMOOTH    SOLOMON'S    SEAL 

Polygonatum  commutatum.     Polygonatum  giganteum 
Lily-of-the-Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  This  globular  berry  is  also  nearly 
black  with  a  bloom.  It  is  larger  than  the  pre- 
ceding, in  keeping  with  the  larger  proportions  of 
the  species.  The  clusters  vary  in  the  number  of 
their  fruits  from  one  to  six.  These  grow  on 
long,  stout,  drooping  stems  from  the  leaf  axils. 
The  berry  is  three-celled,  one  cell  sometimes 
containing  six  seeds.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  large  leaves  are  ovate  and 
partly  clasping.  They  are  smooth  throughout, 
rather  darker  green  than  the  smaller  species  and 
somewhat  paler  beneath.  The  yellow  fall  leaves 
contrast  well  with  the  dark  berries. 

Flowers.  —  The  drooping  jointed  peduncles 
bear  two  to  eight  large,  greenish,  bell-shaped 
flowers.  June. 

The  tall,  stout  stalks,  sometimes  seven  feet 
high,  with  their  large,  spreading,  gracefully 
curved  leaves  and  the  numerous  nodding  clusters 
of  black  balls  are  imposing  additions  to  the  flora 
of  moist  roadsides.  They  also  abound  along 


SMOOTH  SOLOMON'S  SEAL  (JPolygonatum  commutatum) 
160 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  161 

streams.     The  species  grows  as  far  west  as  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

INDIAN   CUCUMBER   ROOT 
Medeola  Virginian  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  purple  berries  are  borne  at 
the  summit  of  the  plant  on  upright  stems. 
They  are  globular,  usually  three  or  four  in  num- 
ber, three-celled,  and  few-seeded.  The  mark  of 
the  style  is  at  the  tip.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  in  two  whorls.  The 
lower  whorl  is  borne  about  midway  of  the  stem 
and  consists  of  from  five  to  nine  obovate-lanceo- 
late  leaflets,  which  are  stemless,  parallel-ribbed, 
and  netted-veined.  The  upper  whorl,  at  the  top 
of  the  stem,  is  usually  of  three,  occasionally 
more,  smaller  ovate  leaflets. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow  flowers  are 
borne  on  drooping  stems  and  are  often  nearly 
hidden  beneath  the  upper  whorl  of  leaflets. 
They  are  like  small  lilies  and  have  recurved 
perianths,  six  recurved  reddish  stamens,  and 
three  recurved  stigmas.  June. 

The  flowers  on  their  drooping  stems  are  often 
tucked  under  the  upper  leaflets,  which  serve  as 


INDIAN  CUCUMBER  ROOT  (Medeola  Virginiana) 
162 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  163 

umbrellas  for  them.  When  the  plant  is  fruiting 
the  stems  become  erect,  and,  in  the  fall,  when  the 
berries  are  ripe,  the  crowning  leaflets  and  fruit 
stems,  tinged  with  dull  reds,  serve  as  signals  to 
the  birds  that  harvest  time  has  come. 

The  horizontal  tuberous  rootstock  is  a  charac- 
teristic feature.  It  is  white,  and  similar  in  taste 
to  a  cucumber. 

u  Its  white  tuberous  root  is  crisp  and  tender, 
and  leaves  in  the  mouth  distinctly  the  taste  of 
cucumber.  Whether  or  not  the  Indians  used  it 
as  a  relish  I  do  not  know."  —  BURROUGHS. 


CARRION  FLOWER 
Smilax  herbacea  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  flattened  globose  berries  grow  in 
more  or  less  full  rounded  clusters.  They  are 
borne  on  long  peduncles,  sometimes  six  or  even 
eight  inches  long.  These  stems  grow  from  the 
axils  of  single  leaves  or  from  the  axils  of  leafy 
branches,  which  themselves  spring  from  the  leaf 
axils.  The  berries  are  black  with  a  bloom  w^hich 
is  often  decidedly  blue.  The  flesh  is  thin,  and 
the  berry  variable  in  the  number  of  its  seeds, 


164:  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

two  to  six.  It  is  normally  three-celled,  with 
two  seeds  in  each  cell.  August,  September. 

Leaves. — The  simple  alternate  leaves  are  seven 
to  nine  ribbed  and  are  netted  veined.  They  are 
usually  round-ovate.  The  apex  is  acute,  some- 
times bristle-pointed,  and  the  base  is  heart- 
shaped  or  obtuse.  The  leaves  are  entire.  A 
pair  of  tendrils  proceed  from  the  leaf  stem. 
The  under  surface  is  lighter  than  the  upper. 

Flowers. — The  dioecious  greenish  flowers  grow 
in  from  twenty-  to  forty-flowered  clusters.  They 
are  ill-scented,  like  "  a  dead  rat  in  the  wall,"  as 
Thoreau  describes  it.  They  are  fertilized  by 
insects,  especially  carrion-loving  ones. 

The  main  stem  is  neither  woody  nor  thorny. 
By  means  of  the  numerous  tendrils  it  climbs 
over  any  and  every  support  it  may  encounter. 
The  spherical  clusters  of  bluish  black  fruits  are 
very  attractive  about  the  middle  of  August. 
They  are  a  frequent  sight  amidst  the  roadside 
flower  tangles,  and  flourish  along  streams  and 
in  moist  places.  They  range  east  from  Minne- 
sota, Missouri,  and  Texas  to  the  Atlantic. 


CARRION  FLOWER  (Smilax  herbacea) 


165 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  167 

HALBERD-LEAVED   SMILAX 

Smilax  tamnifolia  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  a  berry  similar  to  that 
of  the  Carrion  Flower,  but  smaller.  The  clusters 
are  rather  small  and  the  peduncles  shorter  than 
in  preceding  species.  The  berry  is  from  one-  to 
three-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  broad  at  the  base  and 
narrow  decidedly  about  the  middle  of  the  leaf, 
making  the  base  almost  lobed.  They  are  thick, 
leathery,  and  green  on  both  sides. 

This,  like  several  other  smilax  species,  has  its 
northern  range  in  dry  or  sandy  portions  of  New 
Jersey.  It  extends  south  to  South  Carolina  and 
Tennessee.  It  is  unarmed,  and  usually  has  circu- 
lar stems  and  branches. 

GLAUCOUS-LEAVED    GREENBRIER 
FALSE   SARSAPARILLA 

Smilax  glauca  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  •• —  The  globose  black  berries  grow  in  um- 
bels on  flattened  peduncles,  which  are  rarely  twice 
the  length  of  the  petioles.  The  umbels  spring 


168  HOW  TO  ENOW    WILD  FRUITS 

from  the  leaf  axils.  The  flesh  is  thin  and 
incloses  from  one  to  three  large  seeds.  Sep- 
tember. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  leaves  vary  in  width. 
They  are  conspicuously  whitened  beneath.  The 
apex  is  rather  obtuse  but  ends  in  a  sharp  point. 
The  petioles  are  rather  short  and  bear  tendrils 
near  their  bases.  The  leaves  are  somewhat 
persistent. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  greenish  yellow  flowers 
are  dioecious.  There  are  from  six  to  twelve 
blossoms  in  the  flower  umbel,  which  is  borne  on 
a  flattened  stem. 

This  woody  vine  sometimes  bears  scattered 
prickles,  sometimes  none.  The  stem  is  circular. 
It  grows  in  thickets  from  Massachusetts  to 
Florida  and  extends  west  to  Texas,  Missouri, 
and  Indiana.  * 


GREENBRIER.  CATBRIER.  HORSEBRIER 

Smilax  rotundifolia  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globular  blue-black  berries  are 
covered  with  a  bloom.  They  grow  in  umbels 
on  a  flattened  stem,  which  seldom  exceeds  in 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  169 

length  ,that  of  the  petiole.  They  are  one-  to 
three-seeded.  September  and  often  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  ovate  or  round-ovate, 
somewhat  heart-shaped  or  rounded  at  the  base, 
and  abruptly  pointed  at  the  apex.  They  are 
leathery,  shining  when  mature,  green  on  both 
sides,  entire,  and  smooth.  Tendrils  grow  from 
the  leaf  stems  and  are  modified  forms  of  stipules. 

Flowers.  —  Small,  yellowish  green,  dioecious 
flowers  grow  in  rather  small  clusters  on  short 
cluster-stems.  April- Jane. 

This  Greenbrier  is  quite  common.  Its  yellow- 
ish green  stem  is  round  and  the  branches  are 
somewhat  four-angled.  It  sometimes  grows  as 
long  as  forty  feet,  and  is  generally  armed 
throughout  with  stout  prickles.  It  grows  in 
moist  places  from  New  England  to  Georgia 
and  as  far  west  as  Minnesota. 


HISPID   GREENBRIER 
Smilax  hispida  Smilax  Family 

Fruit: — The  bluish  black  berries  are  in  umbels, 
borne  on  stems  that  are  over  twice  as  long  as  the 
leaf  stems.  They  are  one-  to  three-seeded. 


170  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

Leaves. —  The  egg-shaped  leaves  are  thin,  green 
on  both  sides,  rounded  or  slightly  heart-shaped  at 
the  base,  and  pointed  at  the  apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  umbels  are  composed  of  flowers 
somewhat  larger  than  those  of  the  Catbrier. 

This  vine  is  distinguished  by  the  long  black 
bristles  which  densely  cover  the  lower  portion  of 
the  stem.  The  upper  portion  is  generally  un- 
armed. Connecticut  is  its  northern  boundary. 
It  grows  in  moist  thickets. 


LONG-STALKED   GREENBRIER 

Smilax  Pseudo-China  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  umbels  of  black  berries  grow  on 
flattened  stems  from  the  leaf  axils.  They  are 
quite  full,  bearing  eight  to  sixteen  berries  in  a 
cluster.  The  peduncles  are  considerably  longer 
than  the  petioles,  being  from  one  to  three  inches 
long. 

Leaves.  —  The  firm,  almost  leathery  leaves  are 
green  on  both  sides.  They  are  ovate  or  some- 
times nearly  lobed  at  the  base.  The  apex  is 
acute  or  bristle-pointed,  and  the  edge  is  some- 
times roughened  with  fine  bristle-like  teeth. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  171 

Flowers.  --  The  flowers  are  dioecious  and  grow 
in  full-flowered  clusters  on  long  flattened  stems. 
July. 

Long-stalked  Greenbrier,  as  the  name  indicates, 
bears  its  flowers  and  fruits  on  long  stems.  These 
are  more  than  twice  as  long  as  the  petioles.  The 
main  stem  is  circular  and  sometimes  armed  with 
straight  prickles  along  its  lower  part.  Most  of 
the  plant  is  unarmed.  It  belongs  to  our  southern 
section  from  New  Jersey  to  Florida  and  west  to 
Indiana  and  Missouri.  It  favors  dry  sandy  soil. 


BRISTLY   GREENBRIER.     STRETCH  BERRY 

Smilax  Bona-nox  Smilax  Family 

Fruit.  —  These  berries  are  black  with  a  bloom. 
The  umbels  are  borne  on  a  flattened  stern  about 
twice  the  length  of  the  leaf  stem.  The  berry 
usually  has  but  one  large  seed.  Its  pulp  is 
elastic,  hence  the  name  Stretch  Berry. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  round,  heart-shaped, 
or  often  much  broadened  at  the  base  and  nar- 
rowed midway  of  their  length,  giving  a  some- 
what two-lobed  appearance  to  the  base.  The 
apex  is  bristle  tipped,  and  the  margin  and  mid- 


1Y2  HOW  TO   KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

rib  are  often  spiny.  The  upper  and  lower  sur- 
faces are  both  green  and  shining.  The  stems 
are  tendril-bearing.  The  leaves  cling  long  to 
the  vines. 

Flowers.  —  The  dioecious  flowers  grow  in 
quite  full  umbels.  April- July. 

The  prickles  on  this  vine  are  few,  short,  stiff, 
and  scattered.  The  circular  stem  and  the 
angular  branchlets  are  both  green.  It  has  been 
reported  in  Massachusetts,  and  extends  from 
New  Jersey  to  Florida,  and  west  to  Illinois, 
Texas,  and  Missouri. 


HACKBERRY.     SUGARBERRY 
Celtis  occidentalis  Elm  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  solitary  drupe  is  about  as  large 
as  a  pea.  It  grows  from  the  leaf  axil  on  a 
drooping  stem.  The  calyx  is  persistent,  and 
the  stigma  is  at  the  tip.  The  ripe  fruit  is  dark 
purple.  The  flesh  is  rather  thin  and  very  sweet, 
and  the  stone  is  large.  September,  October,  and 
persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  two  sides  of  the  leaf  are  quite 
unlike,  one  being  much  broader  at  the  base  than 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  173 

the  other,  which  looks  as  if  a  piece  of  it  had 
been  cut  off  obliquely.  The  apex  is  pointed. 
The  margin  is  toothed  except  at  the  base. 
Autumnal  coloring  is  yellow. 

This  tree  is  similar  to  an  elm  in  appearance. 
Its  fruit  is  much  appreciated  by  the  winter  birds. 
The  trees  which  I  have  seen  have  been  much 
disfigured  by  numerous  insect  galls  upon  the 
leaves.  Its  range  is  in  woods  and  along  river 
banks,  in  New  England  southward  and  west  to 
Minnesota. 

RED   MULBERRY 
Morus  rubra  Mulberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  seems  at  first  glance  to 
resemble  a  Blackberry  in  structure.  It  differs, 
however,  in  being  the  product  of  a  spike  of 
several  flowers  instead  of  the  development  of 
several  carpels  of  the  same  flower.  Each  sepa- 
rate fruit  consists  of  an  achene  or  nut  sur- 
rounded by  the  calyx  lobes  which  have  become 
juicy.  Each  achene  bears  at  the  summit  the 
tips  of  the  two  styles.  Only  one  of  the  two 
ovaries  of  the  flower  develops.  The  multiple  or 
collective  fruit  formed  by  the  crowding  together 


174  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

of-  the  separate  fruits  is  about  an  inch  long,  is 
sweet,  juicy,  and  edible.  It  grows  on  a  short 
stem,  usually  from  the  axil  of  the  leaf.  The 
fruit  in  ripening  changes  from  green  to  red  to 
dark  purple.  July. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  variable  in  shape  but 
are  usually  heart-ovate.  On  young  shoots  they 
are  often  lobed.  The  margins  are  coarsely 
toothed.  The  upper  surface  is  shining  and  may 
be  smooth  or  rough.  The  lower  surface  is 
lighter.  Yellow  is  the  autumnal  color. 

Flowers.  —  A  tree  sometimes  bears  both  stami- 
nate  and  pistillate  clusters  of  flowers,  and  some- 
times but  one  kind.  A  few  pistillate  flowers 
are  occasionally  found  in  the  staminate  flower 
spikes. 

The  Red  Mulberry  is  the  only  species  native 
to  America.  The  tree  does  not  usually  attain  a 
great  size,  but  sometimes  reaches  a  height  of 
from  sixty  to  seventy  feet.  The  finest  trees  are 
to  be  foun'd  along  the  lower  Ohio  and  the  Missis- 
sippi rivers.  They  range  from  Massachusetts  to 
Florida  and  west  to  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  The 
leaves  do  not  serve  successfully  as  food  for  silk- 
worms. These  flourish  best  on  the  White  Mul- 
berry leaves.  An  interesting  feature  occurs  in 


RED  MULBERRY  (Morus  rubrd) 


175 


176  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

connection  with  the  pollination  of  the  flowers. 
At  the  precise  time  that  the  anthers  are  ready 
to  open,  the  filaments  uncoil  like  a  spring  and 
throw  the  pollen  upon  the  breezes. 

POKE.  SCOKE.  GARGET.  PIGEON  BERRY 
Phytolacca  decendra  Pokeweed  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  purple  berries  grow  in  long 
lateral  racemes  opposite  the  leaves.  The  berries 
are  like  a  sphere  flattened  vertically  and  are 
from  five-  to  twelve-celled.  Each  cell  contains 
one  vertical  seed.  The  berry  is  filled  with  a 
crimson  juice.  The  calyx  persists  at  the  base. 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  large  coarse  leaves  are  often 
veined  with  purple. 

Flowers.  —  The  five  sepals  are  white  or  pink- 
ish and  surround  the  conspicuous  green  ovary.^ 
The  corolla  is  lacking. 

This  is  a  large  rank  perennial.  The  large 
roots  are  poisonous  but  the  young  plants  are 
cooked  in  early  summer  for  "  Greens,"  and  are 
considered  almost  equal  to  Asparagus.  The 
sturdy  plants  often  occur  along  the  roadside,  and 
I  have  seen  a  rocky  hillside  pasture  overgrown 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE 


177 


with  them.     Birds  of  several  different  kinds  eat 
the  berries. 


POKE  (Phytolacca  decendra) 

"Pokeweed  is  a  native  American,  and  what  a 
lusty,  royal  plant  it  is  !  "  — BURROUGHS. 


178  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

CANADA  MOONSEED 
Menispermum  Canadense  Moonseed  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  ovary  is  nearly  straight,  and  has 
the  stigma  at  the  apex.  In  the  development  of 
the  fruit  an  incurving  takes  place,  bringing 
the  stigma  mark  near  the  base  of  the  fruit. 
This  gives  the  stone  the  form  of  a  crescent  or 
ring;  hence  the  name  Moonseed,  because  of 
its  crescent  shape.  The  stone  is  flattened  later- 
ally, and  is  wrinkled  and  grooved.  The  drupes 
are  globose-oblong,  one-seeded,  black  with  a 
bloom.  They  grow  in  loose  clusters  and  re- 
semble Frost  Grapes  in  appearance.  The 
clusters,  however,  grow  from  the  leaf  axils 
instead  of  opposite  them.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  broad-ovate  with 
usually  three  to  seven  lobes.  They  are  heart- 
shaped  at  the  base,  and  have  a  pale  under  sur- 
face. The  leaf  stem  is  slender  and  usually 
attached  within  the  edge  of  the  leaf. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  greenish  white,  dioecious 
flowers  grow  in  loose  clusters  from  the  leaf  axils. 
June,  July. 

This  woody    climber,  sometimes    twelve  feefc 


BLACK   OR  DARK  PURPLE  179 

long,  is  readily  distinguished  from  a  grapevine, 
which  it  somewhat  resembles,  by  the  axillary 
position  of  flower  and  fruit  cluster.  It  is 
common  along  streams  south  to  Georgia  and 
Arkansas. 

WILD    GOOSEBERRY 

Ribes  Cynosbati  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  brownish  red  berry  usually 
grows  singly.  It  is  prickly,  occasionally  smooth, 
and  has  numerous  seeds  with  crustaceous  coats 
inclosed  in  gelatinous  ones.  The  seeds  are  sus- 
pended by  tiny  threads  in  a  pulpy  mass.  The 
berry  bears  at  the  summit  the  shriveled  remains 
of  the  calyx.  The  flavor  is  good,  but  the  sharp, 
awl-shaped  prickles  are  objectionable.  August. 

Leaves. —  The  three-  to  five-lobed  leaves  are 
alternate  or  clustered.  The  base  is  heart-shaped, 
and  the  lobes  are  incised  or  serrate.  One  or 
more  spines  are  usually  found  at  the  base  of  the 
petioles. 

Flowers.  —  The  bell-shaped  greenish  flowers 
grow  singly  or  in  a  few-flowered  raceme. 

This  is  a  low  shrub  of  rocky  woods  from  New 
Brunswick  south,  especially  along  the  mountains, 


180  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

to  North  Carolina.     It  extends  west  to  Manitoba 
and  Missouri. 


WILD   BLACK   CURRANT 

Ribes  floridum  Gooseberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drooping  racemes  bear  smooth, 
black,  round-ovoid  berries  with  a  linear  bract  at 
the  base  of  each  pedicel.  The  dried  calyx  is  at 
the  top  of  each  fruit.  Each  berry  is  many- 
seeded,  with  the  seeds  attached  by  tiny  threads 
to  two  opposite  lateral  placentae.  The  fruit  is 
watery  and  insipid.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  Tiny  resinous  dots  on  the  leaves 
are  characteristic.  The  five  to  seven  lobes  of 
each  leaf  are  doubly  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  large  whitish  flowers  grow  in 
drooping,  loosely-flowered,  bracted,  and  downy 
racemes. 

This  shrub  is  erect,  and  reaches  a  height  of 
from  three  to  five  feet.  It  is  found  in  woods 
from  Nova  Scotia  south  to  Virginia  and  west  to 
Kentucky,  Iowa,  and  Nebraska. 


182 


SLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  188 

BLACK   RASPBERRY.        THIMBLE   BERRY 
Rubus  occidentalis  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small,  black,  juicy  drupes  are 
packed  in  diminishing  circles  about  the  elongated 
receptacle,  forming  a  flattened  hemispherical, 
aggregate  fruit.  This  separates  when  ripe  from 
the  receptacle  and  the  reflexed  calyx  lobes  at  the 
base.  Each  drupelet  is  woolly  near  its  points  of 
contact  with  other  drupelets.  The  remainder  of 
its  surface  is  smooth  and  shining.  The  fruits 
grow  in  small  terminal  clusters.  The  peduncles 
are  set  with  recurved  prickles.  The  fruit  is 
sweet  and  delicious  in  flavor.  July. 

Leaves.  —  There  are  usually  three  leaflets  to 
each  compound  leaf.  The  two  lateral  ones  have 
short  stems.  Scattered  prickles  are  on  the  leaf 
stems.  The  leaflets  are  much  whitened  beneath, 
coarsely  doubly  toothed,  and  acutely  pointed. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  blossoms  grow  in  ter- 
minal corymbs. 

Pull  off  one  of  the  fruits  from  the  receptacle, 
slip  it  over  the  tip  of  the  little  finger,  and  see  if 
it  is  not  a  veritable  "  finger  cap,"  worthy  of  its 
name  Thimble  Berry.  The  plant  yields,  each 


184  HOW  TO   KNOW   WILD  FEUITS 

year,  beside  the  fruiting  stems,  gracefully  curved 
leafy  shoots,  which  will  be  the  fruit-bearing  por- 
tion of  next  year's  growth.  The  Kaspberry  has 
been  generally  cultivated. 

In  its  native  haunts  it  is  found  drooping  over 
rocks,  growing  in  clumps  about  decaying  stumps 
or  trees  and  in  fence  rows. 


BLACKBERRIES 

The  Blackberry  group  seems  to  be  especially 
difficult  of  exact  classification.  L.  H.  Bailey,  in 
his  book  on  "  The  Evolution  of  our  Native 
Fruits/'  names  certain  varieties  which  are  recog- 
nizable even  by  a  non-expert,  and  I  have  de- 
parted somewhat  from  Britton  and  Brown's 
classification  to  adopt  Bailey's  more  recent 
nomenclature  and  divisions. 

He  separates,  first,  the  Blackberries  from  the 
Trailing  Blackberries,  or  Dewberries. 

The  Dewberries  are  distinguished  by  their 
trailing  habit  of  growth,  their  custom  of  rooting 
from  the  tips,  and  by  the  few  scattered  flowers 
in  the  flower  cluster,  the  central  one  of  which 
blossoms  first. 

The  Blackberry  fruit,  in  general,  is  a  collec- 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  185 

tion  of  small  drupes,  which  remains  attached 
when  ripe  to  the  juicy  white  receptacle  on  which 
it  is  borne. 

Our  principal  Dewberries  are  two  in  number : 
Low  Running  Blackberry  and  Running  Swamp 
Blackberry. 

LOW   RUNNING   BLACKBERRY 

Rubus  villosus.     Rubus  Canadensis  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  grows  in  small  clusters. 
It  is  usually  hemispherical  or  ovoid.  The 
drupelets  are  large,  juicy,  and  rather  sour  until 
fully  ripe,  when  they  are  quite  sweet.  At  the 
base  of  each  fruit  is  the  calyx,  from  which  the 
berry  separates  when  it  falls,  leaving  many  dried 
stamens  visible  in  the  calyx  cup. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  have  three  to  seven 
oval  or  ovate  leaflets,  which  are  sharply  doubly 
toothed.  They  are  quite  thick  and  large.  Leaf- 
like  bracts  grow  on  the  flower  and  the  fruit 
clusters. 

This  is  the  common  Dewberry  of  the  north, 
and  is  a  frequent  roadside  trailing  vine.  The 
species  is  very  variable. 

The  rich  dark  reds  of  its  fall  leaves,  spreading 


186 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


over  stone  walls,  rocks,  roadsides,  and  pasture 
lands,  and  contrasting  with  the  yellow  of  the 
Golden-rod  and  the  blue  of  the  Aster,  are  im- 
portant factors  in  the  autumnal  color  scheme. 
The  Rubus  villosus,  that  was  named  and 
described  in  1789,  has  long  been  taken  by  bot- 


Low  RUNNING  BLACKBERRY  (Rubus  viilosus) 

anists  to  be  the  High-bush  Blackberry.  In 
1898,  Bailey,  after  personally  examining  the 
specimens  described  by  Aiton  as  Rubus  villo- 
sus,  decided  that  they  were  specimens,  not  of 
the  High  Blackberry  but  of  the  northern  Low 
Blackberry  or  Dewberry.  To  this  plant,  then, 
the  name  Rubus  viilosus  rightfully  belongs. 

"  For  my  taste  the  blackberry-cone, 
Purpled  over  hill  and  stone." 

—  WHITTIER'S  Barefoot  Boy. 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE 


187 


RUNNING   SWAMP   BLACKBERRY 
Rubus  hispidus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The   fully   ripened    fruit    is    nearly 
black.     It  is  small,  consisting  of  but  few  grains. 


RUNNING  SWAMP  BLACKBERRY  (Rubus  hispidus) 

The   berries   are  borne  on  leafless  stems  which 
are  often  bristly.     August. 

Leaves.  —  The  small,  usually  three,  obovate 
leaflets  are  smooth,  coarsely  toothed,  and  blunt 
at  the  tip.  They  are  shining  and  firm  and 
appear  evergreen. 


188  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  small  and  white, 
with  few  in  the  cluster. 

The  fall  foliage  is  brilliant.  It  grows  not 
only  in  swamps,  but  in  sandy  places  as  well. 


The  Blackberries,  aside  from  their  more  erect 
growth,  are  distinguished  by  their  denser  flower 
clusters,  the  lower  or  outer  flowers  of  which  are 
the  first  to  develop ;  and  also  by  their  habit  of 
"  sucker  "  spreading  instead  of  "  tip  "  spreading. 

SAND  BLACKBERRY 

Rubus  cuneifolius  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  rather  small  but  sweet 
and  solid.  It  grows  in  small  short  clusters  with 
leaves  often  growing  below  the  berries.  July, 
August. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  consist  of 
from  three  to  five  leaflets,  which  are  obovate, 
obtuse,  toothed,  and  quite  thick.  They  are  dull 
green  above,  whitened  and  woolly  beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  or  pinkish  flowers  grow 
in  short,  usually  terminal  clusters  of  few  flowers. 

This  is  a  low  variety,  from  one  to  three  feet 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  189 

high.     It  is  stiff  and  armed  with  stout  prickles. 
It  favors  sandy  soil. 


Of  the  High-bush  Blackberries,  Bailey  makes 
three  divisions  :  Rubus  nigrobaccus,  Rubus  ar- 
gutus,  and  Rubus  Canadensis.  Professor  Porter 
also  describes  another  form  which  Bailey  is  in- 
clined to  accept  as  a  separate  one,  Rubus  Alle- 
gheniensis,  or  Mountain  Blackberry. 

COMMON    OR  HIGH-BUSH   BLACKBERRY 
Rubus  nigrobaccus.     Rubus  villosus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  These  so-called  berries  are  oblong, 
seedy,  firm,  and  sweet.  They  grow  in  long 
loose  clusters,  the  lower  berries  usually  ripening 
first.  The  five  long,  narrow  calyx  lobes  are 
reflexed  at  the  base.  July,  August. 

Leaves. —  The  leaflets  are  three  or  five  in 
number.  Each  has  a  distinct  stem,  the  terminal 
one  having  the  longest  stalk.  The  leaflets  are 
ovate,  pointed,  and  coarsely  serrate.  The  under- 
leaf  surface  is  hairy  and  glandular. 

Flowers.  —  The  large  white  flowers  are  borne 
in  long  clusters.  Each  pedicel  is  long  and  forms 


HIGH-BUSH  BLACKBERRY  (Rubus  nigrobaccus) 
190 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE         191 

a  broad  angle  with  the  axial  stem.  The  flower 
steins  are  hairy  and  glandular. 

The  stems  of  the  High  Blackberry  are  fur- 
rowed, often  recurved,  and  bear  stout,  hooked 
prickles.  They  are  sometimes  ten  feet  high. 
This  is  the  common  High  Blackberry,  and  is 
found  in  woods  and  along  country  roads  and 
fence  rows.  Iowa,  Missouri,  and  Kansas  are  its 
western  limits  and  the  North  Carolinian  Moun- 
tains its  southern. 

Through  a  confusion  in  the  identification  of 
early  specimens,  the  name  Eubus  villosus  has 
been  applied  to  the  High-bush  Blackberry  in- 
stead of  to  the  Low  Blackberry,  which  Gray 
calls  Rubus  Canadensis.  This  latter  term,  how- 
ever, belongs  to  the  Thornless  Blackberry.  The 
Low  Blackberry  must  bear  its  rightful  title, 
Rubus  villosus ,  and  this  leaves  the  High  Black- 
berry without  a  name.  Bailey  has  christened  it 
Eubus  nigrobaccus. 

The  variety  sativus,  Short  Cluster  Blackberry, 
has  rounder  fruits,  that  grow  in  short  clusters. 
The  drupelets  are  loose  and  large. 

The  leaflets  are  broader  and  the  apex  blunter. 

This  is  the  common  High  Blackberry  of  the 
open  fields.  It  is  not  so  tall  as  the  type. 


192  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

MOUNTAIN   BLACKBERRY 

Rubus  Allegheiiiensis  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupelets  are  small  and  dry,  and 
form  a  long,  narrow  fruit,  with  tapering  top. 
The  flavor  is  spicy. 

Leaves.  —  The  smaller  teeth  and  long  drawn- 
out  apex  are  distinctive  features. 

This  species  has  reddish  branches  and  leaf 
stems.  It  is  considered  by  some  to  be  a  moun- 
tain form  of  Rubus  nigrobaccus. 

LEAFY   CLUSTER  BLACKBERRY 

Rubus  argutus  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  This  species  is  distinguished  by  a 
shorter,  leafy  fruit  cluster. 

Leaves.  — The  leaflets  are  smaller  and  nar- 
rower, somewhat  rigid,  nearly  smooth,  and 
coarsely  serrate. 

It  is  a  lower  species  than  R.  nigrobaccus,  stiff, 
straight,  and  nearly  smooth  or  quite  so.  It  is 
distinctly  a  southern  species,  taking  the  place 
there  which  is  occupied  in  the  north  by  R. 
nigrobaccus.  It  has  a  wide  range. 


BLACK  OR  DARE  PURPLE  193 

THORNLESS    BLACKBERRY 
Rubus  Canadensis  Rose  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  ripens  late  and  is  sweeter 
than  the  other  blackberries. 

This  species  is  distinguished  by  smooth  leaves 
and  stems  and  its  usual  lack  of  thorns.  The 
leaves  are  long,  narrow,  and  have  a  long  acumi- 
nation.  The  leaf  stems  are  long  and  slender 
and  the  stipules  are  long. 

It  grows  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina. 

BLACK   CHOKEBERRY 

Aroma  nigra.     Pyrus  arbutifolia,  Var.  melanocarpa 
Apple  Family 

This  plant  is  smoother  than  Aronia  arbuti- 
folia, but  the  chief  difference  is  in  the  fruit, 
this  pome  being  larger,  more  juicy,  and  black 
in  color. 

The  shrub  often  grows  in  the  vicinity  of 
Huckleberry  Bushes,  and  the  two  fruits  some- 
what resemble  each  other.  I  well  remember 
the  cautions  which  as  a  child  I  received  against 
mixing  the  two,  the  Chokeberry  being  con- 


BLACK  CHOKEBERRY  (Aronia  nigra) 
194 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE        195 

sidered  poisonous.  I  distinguished  between 
them  by  the  red  juice  or  flesh  of  the  "  Dog- 
berry/' as  we  called  it.  So  strong  was  my 
early  belief  in  its  "  killing "  qualities,  that, 
despite  the  testimony  of  several  books  as  to  its 
sweetness,  pleasant  flavor,  etc.,  I  confess  I  test 
them  rather  gingerly.  The  range  is  nearly  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Red  Chokeberry. 


OBLONG-FRUITED    JUNEBERRY 
Amelanchier  oligocarpa  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  pear-shaped  pome  is  dark  purple, 
and  covered  with  a  thick  bloom. 

Leaves.  — The  thin  oblong  leaves  are  narrowed 
at  each  end  and  often  acute.  They  are  sharply 
toothed. 

Flowers.  —  There  are  few,  one  to  four,  blos- 
soms in  a  raceme.  The  pedicels  are  rather  long 
and  slender. 

This  is  a  low,  nearly  smooth  shrub,  growing 
in  wet  places  in  Ontario,  New  England,  and 
along  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior. 


196  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

PORTER'S    PLUM 
Prunus  Allegheniensis  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  purple  globose  drupe  is 
small,  only  about  half  an  inch  in  diameter.  It 
has  a  bloom.  The  flavor  is  pleasantly  acid. 
The  stone  has  a  groove  on  one  side  and  a  slight 
elevation  on  the  other.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  lanceolate  or  ovate-oblong 
leaves  are  finely  toothed,  and  often  have  a 
long  pointed  apex. 

The  flowers  resemble  those  of  Prunus  Ameri- 
cana. 

This  is  a  low  tree  or  straggling  shrub  of  the 
Alleghany  Bluffs.  It  seldom  bears  thorns. 

SLOE.     BLACKTHORN 

Prunus  spinosa  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose  drupe  is  about  half  an 
inch  in  diameter.  It  is  black,  with  a  bloorn, 
and  grows  singly  or  in  pairs  from  the  sides  of 
the  branches.  The  stone  has  one  sharp  edge. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  oblong  leaves  are 
obtuse  at  the  apex  and  narrowed  at  the  base. 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  197 

They  are  sharply  toothed  and  smooth  when 
mature. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  are  solitary  or 
two  in  a  cluster.  April,  May. 

This  thorny  shrub  was  introduced  from  Eu- 
rope, and  often  occurs  as  an  escape  along  road- 
sides from  Massachusetts  to  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania. 

A  variety,  imititia,  Bullace  Plum,  is  less 
thorny,  and  has  hairy  leaves  and  stems. 


SAND    CHERRY.     DWARF   CHERRY 

Primus  pumila  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupes  are  about  half  an  inch 
long  and  are  dark  red  or,  when  fully  ripe,  black. 
They  are  without  bloorn.  The  flesh  is  rather 
thin  and  the  stone  is  large  and  ovoid.  The 
cherries  are  solitary  or  in  small  clusters.  The 
shrub  usually  fruits  abundantly.  The  cherries 
are  sweet  and  edible.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  obovate-lanceolate, 
with  a  narrowed  base.  They  are  deep  green 
above  and  paler  beneath.  The  margin  is 
toothed  with  the  exception  of  a  short  distance 


198  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

at  the  base,  which  is  entire.  The  leaves  change 
to  a  deep  red  in  autumn. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  blossoms  grow  in  few- 
flowered  clusters. 

This  trailing  or  prostrate  shrub  sends  up  erect 
branches  which  are  sometimes  four  feet  high. 
The  plant  sends  out  suckers  freely,  arid  spread- 
ing thus  soon  forms  clumps.  It  grows  in  sandy 
places  along  the  eastern  coast  south  to  New 
Jersey.  It  also  occurs  along  the  shores  of  the 
Great  Lakes. 

WILD  BLACK  CHERRY.  RUM  CHERRY 

Prunus  serotina  Plum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  black  drupes  grow  in  loose 
clusters  at  the  ends  of  leafy  branches.  Many 
of  the  flowers  do  not  develop,  and  the  cluster 
often  has  a  scraggly  appearance.  In  ripening 
the  fruits  change  from  green  through  yellowish 
red,  red,  and  dark  red  to  black.  The  separate 
cherries  are  spherical  and  flattened  vertically. 
A  tiny  depression  is  at  the  summit  and  the 
persistent  calyx  is  at  the  base.  The  pedicels 
are  short.  The  flesh  is  yellow  or  reddish  and 
rather  thin.  It  is  sweet,  and  although  some- 


\ 


WILD  BLACK  CHERRY  (Prunus  serotina) 
199 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  201 

what  bitter  has  a  pleasant  flavor.  August, 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  dark  green  glossy  leaves,  with 
their  whitened  under  surfaces,  are  alternate, 
and  usually  ovate  or  oval-lanceolate.  The  apex 
is  pointed  and  the  base  rounded  or  narrowed. 
The  teeth  are  so  incurved  as  to  appear  blunt. 
The  upper  surface  of  the  leaf  stem  is  grooved 
and  bears  two  or  more  small  glands  near  the 
base  of  the  leaf.  Yellow  is  the  autumnal  color. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
long,  loose  racemes.  May.  June. 

The  tree  sometimes  grows  to  a  height  of 
eighty  or  ninety  feet.  The  branches  and  bark 
of  the  young  trees  are  reddish  brown.  The 
trunks  of  the  older  trees  are  almost  black  and 
the  bark  is  scaly.  The  wood  is  hard  and  has  a 
beautiful  close  grain.  It  is  red  and  darkens 
with  age,  does  not  shrink  nor  warp,  and  is 
used  for  cabinet  work  and  the  inside  finishings 
of  houses.  It  is  becoming  scarce.  The  cherries 
are  used  in  flavoring  brandies  and  other  intoxi- 
cants. Both  bark  and  fruit  are  ingredients  in 
certain  medicines.  The  tree  is  common  through- 
out the  eastern  part  of  the  United  States  and 
extends  west  to  Dakota,  Kansas,  and  Texas. 


202  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

BLACK   CROWBERRY 

Empetrum  nigrum  Crowberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  black  drupe  is  berrylike,  globu- 
lar, and  incloses  six  to  nine  seedlike  nutlets  with 
a  seed  in  each.  The  calyx  is  at  the  base  and 
the  stigma  is  at  the  apex.  The  drupes  are 
solitary  in  the  leaf  axils.  They  are  juicy,  acid, 
edible,  and  serve  as  food  for  the  Arctic  birds. 

Leaves.  —  The  linear-oblong  leaves  roll  their 
edges  backward  until  they  meet.  They  are 
dark  green,  thick,  obtuse,  and  crowded  along  the 
branches.  Evergreen. 

Flowers.  —  The  purplish  dioecious  flowers  are 
small  and  solitary  in  the  upper  axils.  The 
stamens  are  much  exserted. 

The  Black  Crowberry  appears  south  to  the 
coast  of  Maine,  the  higher  mountains  of  New 
England,  in  northern  New  York,  Michigan,  and 
California.  It  is  a  native  also  of  Europe  and 
Asia.  It  is  a  much-branched  shrub,  low,  densely 
leafy,  and  grows  in  thick  beds. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  208 

INKBERRY.     EVERGREEN    WINTER  BERRY 
Ilex  glabra  Holly  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berrylike  black  drupe  is  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  It  is  usually 
solitary  in  the  leaf  axils,  with  the  calyx  at  the 
base  and  the  mark  of  the  stigma  at  the  summit. 
The  six  seedlets  are  smooth. 

Leaves.  —  The  leathery  evergreen  leaves  are 
wedge-lanceolate  or  oblong.  The  apex  is  obtuse 
or  acute  and  sometimes  few-toothed.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  margin  is  entire.  The  upper 
surface  is  dark  green  and  shining  and  the  lower 
one  paler  and  dotted  with  black. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  dioecious  or  perfect 
flowers  grow  in  the  leaf  axils.  They  are  borne 
on  slender  stems.  June. 

This  slender  evergreen  shrub  is  from  two  to 
six  feet  high.  It  has  long  been  cultivated  in 
England,  but  with  us  occurs  mainly  in  a  wild 
state.  It  grows  near  the  coast  from  Nova  Scotia 
to  Louisiana. 


INKBERRY  (Ilex  gldbra) 
204 


SLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  2Qh 

BUCKTHORN 
Rhamnus  cathartica  Buckthorn  Family 

Fruit. —  The  berry  like  drupes  grow  in  clusters. 
They  are  globose,  somewhat  flattened,  black,  and 
shining.  The  pulp  and  juice  of  the  fruits  are  a 
peculiar  green.  The  three  or  four  inclosed  nut- 
lets are  grooved.  The  drupes  are  bitter  and 
nauseating.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  broadly  ovate  with 
prominent,  sometimes  hairy,  veins,  beneath. 
They  are  finely  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  greenish  flowers  are 
dioacious.  They  appear  a  little  later  than  the 
leaves.  May,  June. 

This  is  a  shrub  or  small  tree  ten  or  fifteen 
feet  high.  The  lower  branches,  while  leafy,  are 
short  and  stiff  and  end  in  sharp  points,  really 
serving  the  purposes  of  thorns. 

The  berries  were  formerly  used  in  medicines 
as  a  purgative,  but  are  so  severe  in  their  action 
that  their  use  in  this  direction  is  now  confined 
to  veterinary  practice.  A  green  dye  is  yielded 
by  the  ripe  berries,  a  purple  dye  by  the  over-ripe 
fruit,  a  yellow  dye  by  the  fresh  bark,  and  a 
brown  one  by  the  dried  bark. 


206 


HO W  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


BUCKTHORN. (Rhamnus  cathartica) 

The  plant  is  an  escape  from  hedges  in  New 
England  and  the  Middle  States,  and  was  intro- 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE         207 

duced  originally  .from  Europe.    It  is  also  a  native 
of  northern  Asia. 


LANCE-LEAVED   BUCKTHORN 

Rhamnus  lanceolata  Buckthorn  Family 

fruit.  —  This  berrylike  drupe  has  two  grooved 
nutlets.  It  is  black  and  shining.  The  fruits 
are  in  the  leaf  axils,  sometimes  in  clusters  of 
two  or  three. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oblong-lanceolate. 
On  the  flowering  shoots  the  leaf  apex  is  often 
obtuse.  The  leaves  are  finely  toothed  and  some- 
what hairy  on  the  veins  beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  yellowish  green  blossoms  are 
solitary  or  clustered  in  the  leaf  axils.  May. 

The  Lance-leaved  Buckthorn  grows  along 
banks  of  streams  and  on  hills  from  Pennsyl- 
vania southward.  It  is  a  tall,  thornless  shrub. 

ALDER-LEAVED   BUCKTHORN 

Rhamnus  alnifolia  Buckthorn  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  black  berrylike  drupes  are  some- 
what pear-shaped.  They  are  fleshy  and  inclose 


208  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

three  grooved  nutlets.  They  grow  from  the 
axils  of  the  lower  leaves  on  shoots  of  new 
growth. 

Leaves.  —  The  broadly  ovate  leaves  are  dark 
green  when  fully  grown.  They  are  acute  at 
the  apex  and  the  margin  is  bluntly  toothed. 
The  veins  on  the  lower  surface  are  very  promi- 
nent. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  flowers  are  mostly 
dioecious  and  grow  on  short  stems  in  the  leaf 
axils.  May,  June. 

This  is  a  low  thornless  shrub  which  grows  in 
swamps,  with  New  Jersey  for  its  southern  limit 
in  our  section. 


NORTHERN   FOX   GRAPE 

Vitis  Labmsca  Grape  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  very  variable  in  color, 
in  size  of  separate  berries  and  of  the  cluster, 
and  in  flavor.  Purplish  black  is  the  common 
color  but  ripe  reddish  and  greenish  fruits  are 
found.  The  cluster  is  usually  rather  small. 
The  berries  are  large,  with  a  thick  skin,  tough 
pulp,  and  large,  thick  seeds.  They  drop  readily 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  209 

when  ripe.  They  are  sweet,  with  a  somewhat 
"  musky  "  taste  and  odor.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  likewise  variable  ; 
sometimes  nearly  entire  in  outline  and  broadly 
heart-shaped,  sometimes  three-lobed  near  the  top, 
and  sometimes  five-lobed.  The  margins  have 
sharply  tipped  teeth.  The  leaves  are  thick  and 
large,  with  a  green,  nearly  smooth  upper  surface 
and  an  under  surface  thickly  covered  with  whit- 
ish or  brownish  wool. 

Flowers. — The  inconspicuous  flowers  are  some- 
times perfect,  sometimes  staminate  or  pistillate. 
The  fertile  racemes  are  compact. 

This  luxuriant  vine  climbs  by  means  of  its 
tendrils,  which  are  modified  flower  peduncles, 
over  rocks  and  walls,  and  from  tree  top  to  tree 
top  in  the  forest.  It  is  our  most  common  grape 
and  the  one  from  which  many  cultivated  forms, 
such  as  the  Catawba,  Concord,  and  Worden  have 
sprung.  Its  berries  are  considered  the  best  for 
jellies  and  are  also  valuable  for  grape  juice. 
This  delicious  beverage  is  justly  growing  in 
favor.  It  is  rich  in  nutriment,  containing  as 
much  nitrogenous  matter  as  milk. 

The  scurfy  covering  of  the  branches,  stalks, 
and  tendrils,  together  with  the  presence  of  ten- 


210  HOW  TO   KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

dril  or  flower  cluster  opposite  each  leaf,  are 
distinguishing  features.  The  bark  peels  off  in 
shreds. 

It  occurs  in  New  England  and  along  the  Alle- 
ghanies  to  central  Georgia. 

SUMMER   GRAPE 

Vitis  aestivalis  Grape  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  are  medium-sized,  one- 
third  to  one-half  inch  in  diameter.  They  are 
dark  blue  or  black  with  a  bloom.  The  skin  is 
tough ;  the  flesh  sometimes  dry  and  puckery, 
sometimes  sweet  and  juicy,  always  lacking  the 
musky  flavor  of  Vitis  Idbrusca ;  and  the  seeds 
are  small.  The  clusters  are  rather  long,  with 
long  stems.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  large  leaves,  thickish  when 
mature,  are  angled  or  three-  to  five-lobed.  The 
openings  between  the  lobes  are  deep  or  broad 
and  open..  The  base  is  heart-shaped.  The  young 
leaves  are  shining  above  and  have  tufts  of 
brown  down  on  the  lower  surfaces.  The  older 
leaves  are  dull  green  above  and  with  the  dis- 
tinguishing brown  woolly  tufts  along  the  veins. 

Flowers.  —  The  flower  cluster  is  long  and  loose. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  211 

This  vine,  like  the  preceding,  is  one  of  vigorous 
growth,  and  has  given  rise  to  several  cultivated 
varieties.  It  is  distinguished  by  its  brown  woolly 
masses  on  the  leaves  and  by  the  absence  of  ten- 
dril or  inflorescence  opposite  each  third  leaf. 

Bailey,  in  his  "  Evolution  of  our  Native  Fruits," 
gives  its  range  as  Chenung  County,  New  York, 
and  Long  Island  to  central  Florida  and  west 
through  southern  Pennsylvania  to  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri. 

It  is  especially  a  southern  grape,  whose  place  in 
the  north  is  represented  by  the  next  plant,  Vitis 
bicolor,  which  is  considered  by  Gray  a  variety  of 
Vitis  cestivalis  but  as  a  separate  species  by  Bailey 
and  by  Britton  and  Brown. 


BLUE    GRAPE 

Vitis  bicolor  Grape  Family 

• 

Fruit.  —  The  clusters  are  usually  long,  with  a 
long  peduncle.  The  berries  are  purple,  with  a 
dense  bloom,  medium  in  size,  and  sour  in  taste. 
The  seeds  are  small.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  large,  usually  three-  to  five-lobed 
leaves  have  not  as  deeply  notched  teeth  as  those 


212  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

of  Vitis  cestivalis.  A  distinguishing  feature  is 
the  thick  blue  bloom  on  the  under  surface  of  the 
leaf.  It  loses  this  toward  fall,  but  does  not  have 
the  brown  woolly  masses  of  the  Summer  Grape. 
The  petioles  and  tendrils  are  long. 

The  young  growths,  as  well  as  the  under  leaf 
surface,  are  usually  covered  with  the  distinguish- 
ing blue  bloom.  The  vine  grows  along  streams 
and  on  banks  from  New  York  to  .Illinois  and  to 
mountains  of  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee. 


RIVERSIDE    OR   SWEET-SCENTED    GRAPE 
Vitis  vulpina.     Vitis  riparia  Grape  Family 

This  species  differs  from  Vitis  cordifolia 
(the  following  species)  chiefly  in  the  following 
particulars :  — 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  are  thickly  covered  with 
blue  bloom.  The  seeds  are  small.  The  fruit 
clusters  are  much-branched  and  often  compound. 

Leaves. — These  show  deeper  and  more  frequent 
lobes.  The  veins  and  angles  are  often  hairy. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  very  fragrant. 
They  grow  in  smaller,  denser  clusters. 

This   has   a   range  from  New  Brunswick  to 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE 


213 


RIVERSIDE  GRAPE  ( Vitis  vulpina) 


North  Dakota,  Kansas,  and  Colorado,  south  to 
West  Virginia,  Mississippi,  and  Texas.  It  is  the 
source  of  some  cultivated  species  ;  Elvira,  Clinton, 
and  others. 


214  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

FROST   OR  CHICKEN   GRAPE 

Vitis  cordifolia  Grape  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  round  berries  are  numer- 
ous in  the  loose-branched  cluster.  They  are 
black  with  a  slight  bloom,  have  a  thick  skin, 
scant  pulp,  and  one  or  two  medium-sized 
seeds.  They  are  sour,  but  improve  in  flavor 
after  being  frosted.  October,  November. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  usually  undivided, 
but  sometimes  are  suggestive  of  three  lobes 
or  angles.  They  are  coarsely  toothed  with 
sharp-pointed  teeth.  The  apex  is  generally 
long  and  pointed,  and  the  base  is  heart- 
shaped.  The  upper  leaf  surface  is  shiny  and 
the  lower  one  green  and  usually  smooth,  with 
occasionally  fine  hairs  along  the  veins. 

Flowers. — The  flower  cluster  is  long,  branched, 
and  many-flowered. 

This  is  the  true  Frost  Grape,  and  is  a  vine 
of  luxuriant  growth,  the  trunk  sometimes  be- 
coming a  foot  or  two  in  diameter.  It  grows 
in  moist  thickets  and  along  streams  from  New 
England  to  central  Illinois,  Missouri,  Nebraska, 
and  southward. 


VIRGINIA  CREEPER  (Parthenocissus  quinquefolia) 
216 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  217 

\ 

VIRGINIA   CREEPER.      WOODBINE 
AMERICAN   IVY 

Parthenocissus  quinquefolia.     Ampelopsis  quinquefolia 
Grape  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globular  berry  is  slightly  de- 
pressed at  the  tip.  It  is  dark  blue  or  nearly 
black  when  mature,  is  two-celled,  with  one  or 
two  largish  seeds  in  each  cell.  The  flesh  is 
thin  and  inedible.  The  berries  grow  in  loose 
red-stalked  clusters.  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  are  borne  on 
long  channeled  red  stems.  The  five  to  seven 
leaflets  are  in  a  whorl  at  the  apex  of  the  leaf 
stalk.  They  are  variable  in  shape,  oval  or 
elliptical,  and  are  coarsely  toothed  along  the 
apex  half  of  the  margin.  The  stems  are  short 
and  the  apex  is  long  and  acute.  The  leaves 
early  assume  their  red,  crimson,  and  purplish 
fall  colorings. 

Flowers. — The  reddish  or  greenish  small 
flowers  grow  in  cymes.  Despite  their  incon- 
spicuous appearance  and  apparent  lack  of 
odor,  they  are  visited  by  many  bees. 

Virginia  Creeper  is  a  vine  which   has   been 


218  HO  W  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEU  ITS 

much  cultivated.  It  grows  rapidly,  and  covers 
house  yalls  and  various  supports  offered  it. 
When  growing  wild,  it  climbs  tree  trunks 
and  covers  stone  walls,  fences,  and  rocks.  It 
supports  itself  by  means  of  the  small  disks  at 
the  ends  of  the  tendrils.  The  fall  coloring  is 
brilliant.  Its  five  leaflets  are  a  feature  dis- 
tinguishing it  from  the  Poison  Ivy,  which  has 
somewhat  similar  habits  of  growth.  The 
latter's  leaflets  are  but  three  in  number. 


ANGELICA   TREE.      HERCULES'   CLUB 
Aralia  spinosa  Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  black  berrylike  drupes  are  five- 
lobed  and  bear  the  styles  at  the  summit.  The 
fruits  grow  in  large  terminal  clusters.  The  flesh 
is  thin.  The  fruits  hang  on  the  trees  during  the 
winter. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  doubly  or  triply 
compound  and  very  large.  The  leaflets  are 
ovate,  thick,  and  serrate.  They  are  dark  green 
above  and  paler  beneath.  The  petioles  are 
prickly.  Dark  red  with  traces  of  yellow  is  the 
fall  coloring. 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  219 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
umbels,  some  of  which  form  a  large  panicle. 

In  the  south,  this  plant  is  said  to  become 
a  tree  of  fifty  feet  in  height.  In  our  section, 
however,  it  is  a  small  tree  or  large  shrub.  The 
branchless  stems  often  grow  in  groups,  bearing 
their  large  compound  leaves  in  clusters  at  the 
top.  The  general  effect  is  somewhat  like  a 
palm.  The  stems  and  leaves  are  thorny.  The 
flowers,  like  those  of  the  Spikenard,  are  late  in  ap- 
pearing and  the  fruit  matures  rapidly.  Southern 
New  York  is  the  northern  limit,  although  it  is 
often  cultivated  farther  north  and  sometimes 
escapes. 

AMERICAN   SPIKENARD.      INDIAN    ROOT 

Aralia  racemosa  Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  large  raceme-like  cluster  of 
fruits  is  composed  of  numerous  umbels.  Smaller 
clusters  grow  in  the  leaf  axils.  The  berry  is 
small,  gobular,  dark  purple  or  reddish  brown, 
five-seeded,  and  crowned  with  tiny  calyx  teeth, 
through  which  the  styles  project.  The  berries, 
like  the  roots,  are  aromatic.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  large  and  compound, 


220 


HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 


AMERICAN  SPIKENARD  (Aralia  racemosa) 

Each  has  a  main  stem  and  two  opposite  lateral 
branches.     Three  to  five  leaflets,  a  terminal  one 


BLACK  OE   DARK  PURPLE  221 

and  the  others  in  pairs,  grow  on  each  of  the 
stems.  The  leaflets  are  sometimes  lobed.  They 
are  usually  heart-shaped  and  sharply  and  doubly 
toothed.  The  point  is  long  and  sharp,  and  the 
base  is  heart-shaped.  The  veins  on  the  lower 
surface  are  hairy. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  greenish,  umbelled 
flowers  form  long  terminal  spikes  or  smaller 
spikes  in  the  leaf  axils.  July,  August. 

Along  the  wooded  roadsides,  the  greenish 
white  flowers  appear  about  the  time  that  the 
Golden-rod  begins  to  blossom.  The  fruit  follows 
in  haste;  and  the  plant,  with  its  tiny  glassy 
spheres,  is  more  noticeable  than  in  its  period  of 
bloom.  The  berries  are  used  as  food  by  birds. 

Its  range  is  from  New  Brunswick  to  Georgia 
and  west  to  Minnesota. 


WILD    OR    VIRGINIAN    SARSAPARILLA 
Aralia  nudicaulis  Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  borne  on  a  naked  scape, 
which  is  shorter  than  the  leaf  stalks.  There  is 
usually  one  large  cluster  of  fruits  at  the  top  of 
the  scape.  This  cluster  is  often  composed  of 


222 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 


WILD  SARSAPARILLA  (Aralia  nudicaulis) 

two  small  clusters  borne  on  short  stems.     From 
this  central  cluster  radiate,  on  longer  stems,  one 


BLACK  OE  DARK  PURPLE  223 

or  more  smaller  clusters  of  fruits.  The  clusters 
are  compact  and  globular  in  appearance.  The 
black  berrylike  drupes  composing  them  are 
globular  and  about  the  size  of  peas.  At  the  top 
of  each  is  visible  the  opening  of  the  calyx  tube, 
with  its  minute  teeth.  Projecting  through  and 
beyond  this  are  the  five  styles.  The  drupe  is 
five-celled,  with  one  nutlet  in  each  cell.  The 
green  fruits  are  ridged,  showing  the  five-celled 
structure  externally ;  but  when  ripe  the  drupes 
are  nearly  smooth.  July,  August. 

Leaves. — There  is  usually  one,  sometimes  there 
are  two,  long  stalked,  compound  leaves.  Each 
leaf  has  three  divisions  of  five  to  seven  leaflets 
each.  These  are  finely  toothed  and  acute  at  the 
apex. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  greenish  white, 
and  are  borne  in  umbels  composed  of  from  three 
to  seven  clusters  of  bloom. 

The  aromatic  root  serves  as  a  substitute  for 
the  South  American  Sarsaparilla.  Bluebirds  are 
recorded  as  eating  the  fruit.  It  favors  damp 
woods,  and  extends  south  from  Newfoundland 
to  North  Carolina  and  west  to  the  Dakotas. 


224  HOW   TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

BRISTLY  SARSAPARILLA.     WILD  ELDER 
Aralia  hispida  Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  blue,  almost  black,  berry- 
like  drupes  are  usually  five-seeded.  When  the 
fruit  is  green,  or  the  berry  somewhat  dry,  it 
shows  its  five  parts  very  distinctly.  The  five 
styles  protrude  through  the  persistent  calyx  tube 
at  the  top  of  the  fruit.  Several  umbels  on  very 
slender  smooth  pedicels  grow  at  the  summit  of 
the  plant  stem.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  twice  pinnate,  with 
long  ovate  leaflets.  These  are  finely  toothed, 
sharply  acute  at  the  apex,  narrowed  or  rounded 
at  the  base,  and  hairy  on  the  veins  beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  tiny  white  flowers  grow  in 
nearly  hemispherical  clusters. 

This  Sarsaparilla  is  distinguished  by  the 
bristles  which  are  scattered  along  the  stem.  It 
grows  from  one  to  two  feet  high,  and  frequents 
rocky  and  sandy  places.  It  extends  south  to 
North  Carolina. 


BRISTLY  SARSAPARILLA  (Aralia  hispida) 


225 


226  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

TUPELO.      SOUR   GUM.     PEPPERIDGE 
Nyssa  sylvatica  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  clusters  grow  on  long 
slender  stems  from  the  leaf  axils.  They  rarely 
contain  more  than  two  or  three  of  the  bluish 
black  ovoid  drupes.  The  flesh  is  thin  and  acid, 
and  the  bony  stone  grooved.  The  drupes  serve 
as  food  for  birds.  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  a  soft  glossy  green 
above,  with  a  paler,  somewhat  hairy  under  sur- 
face. They  vary  in  shape  from  lanceolate  to 
oval  and  obovate.  They  are  often  entire,  some- 
times notched,  with  large  teeth  near  the  apex. 

Flowers.  —  Sterile  and  fertile  flowers  usually 
grow  on  different  trees,  but  sometimes  on  the 
same  tree.  They  are  yellowish  green.  The 
sterile  flowers  grow  in  several-flowered  clusters, 
and  the  fertile  ones  are  solitary,  or  in  a  close 
whorl  of  a  few  blossoms.  They  grow  on  short 
stalks  which  elongate  in  fruit. 

This  is  an  ornamental,  rather  small  tree,  with 
an  attractive  foliage.  Its  branches  are  rather 
low,  horizontal,  and  quite  close.  The  wood  splits 
with  difficulty  on  account  of  its  twisted  fibers. 


TUPELO  (Nyssa  sylvatica) 
227 


228  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Tupelo  is  the  Indian  name  for  the  tree.  An 
interesting  tradition  in  connection  with  the  tree 
still  clings  around  slavery  days.  It  was  cus- 
tomary to  use  a  log  of  the  Sour  Gum  as  the 
back  log  for  the  rousing  Christmas  fire.  As 
long  as  the  fire  lasted,  work  on  the  plantation 
was  suspended.  Prompted  by  the  characteristic 
love  of  leisure  possessed  by  the  colored  race,  the 
slaves  would  cut  a  large  log  in  the  fall,  sink  it 
under  water,  and  leave  it  there  until  near  Christ- 
mas, when  they  would  raise  it  and  carry  it  in 
with  the  other  Christmas  fuel.  Full  of  water,  it 
burnt  a  long  time,  and  the  slaves  enjoyed  a  cor- 
respondingly long  vacation.  The  tree  ranges 
from  New  England  west  to  Michigan,  and  south 
to  Florida  and  Texas. 


ALPINE   OR   BLACK  BEARBERRY 

Mairania  alpina  Arctostaphylos  alpina 

Heath  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose  drupes  are  black  and 
juicy.  They  inclose  four  or  five  separate  nut- 
lets, each  one-seeded.  They  grow  in  small 
clusters. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  229 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  deciduous,  toothed, 
and  inversely  egg-shaped,  with  conspicuous 
veinings. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  ovoid  flowers  have  a 
narrow  throat.  They  grow  in  terminal  racemes. 

This  Bearberry  is  an  Arctic  mountainous  shrub 
around  the  world.  It  also  occurs  in  the  moun- 
tains of  New  England  and  Canada.  It  is  de- 
pressed, not  half  a  foot  high. 


BLACK  OR  HIGH-BUSH  HUCKLEBERRY 
Gaylussacia  resinosa  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit. —  The  black,  shining,  berrylike  drupes 
grow  in  short  racemose  clusters.  The  calyx 
teeth  are  plainly  visible.  A  cross  section  of  the 
fruit  near  the  base  shows  the  circular  arrange- 
ment of  the  ten  nutlets  around  the  core.  This 
core  tapers  toward  the  summit,  being  somewhat 
cone-shaped.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  thick  green  leaves  are  covered 
with  resinous  dots.  They  are  entire  and  have 
short  petioles.  They  vary  from  oblong  to  oval, 
and  are  obtuse  or  acutish.  A  purplish  red  is 
one  of  the  most  noticeable  of  its  fall  colorings. 


230  P1OW   TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  reddish  or  pink  bells  grow  in 
short  one-sided  racemes. 

There  are  several  varieties  with  berries  differ- 
ing from  the  type ;  some,  pear-shaped ;  some, 
bluish ;  and  some,  black  with  a  bloom. 

Gaylussacia  resinosa  is  the  Huckleberry  com- 
monly for  sale.  The  flesh  is  harder  than  that 
of  the  Blueberries,  but  the  hard  nutlets  are  some- 
what objectionable. 

Huckleberries  and  milk !  What  recollections 
of  childhood  the  combination  recalls  !  Bluebirds, 
robins,  cedar  birds,  crows,  and  blue  jays  share 
with  mortals  a  liking  for  the  berries. 

The  Huckleberries  contribute  an  important 
share  to  the  beauty  of  the  autumnal  display  of 
colors.  Great  purplish  patches  on  pasture  hill- 
sides are  visible  for  a  considerable  distance. 

The  species  extends  as  far  south  as  Georgia, 
and  west  to  Minnesota. 


DWARF   OR  BUSH    HUCKLEBERRY 
Gaylussacia  dumosa  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berrylike  drupes,  with  their  ten 
seedlike  nutlets,  are  small,  watery,  and  insipid. 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  231 

They  are  black  and  shining,  without  bloom,  and 
grow  in  an  open  bracted  cluster.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  thick  leaves  are  green  on  both 
sides,  shining  when  old,  and  resinous.  They 
are  nearly  or  quite  stemless,  and  often  slightly 
downy.  The  apex  is  obtuse  or  acute,  and  ends 
in  a  sharp  point. 

Flowers.  —  The  racemes  of  white,  pink,  or 
red  bell-shaped  flowers  grow  in  loose  bracted 
racemes.  June. 

The  fruit  of  this  variety  is  not  of  much 
account.  The  plant  is  the  principal  member 
of  the  genus  southward.  It  grows  in  sandy 
swamps  along  the  coast  from  Newfoundland  to 
Florida  and  Louisiana. 

LOW   BLACK   BLUEBERRY 
Vaccinium  nigrum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  is  black  and  has  no  bloom. 
July. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oblong,  obovate,  or 
oblanceolate.  They  are  nearly  sessile  and  finely 
toothed.  The  apex  is  acute  and  the  base  nar- 
rowed or  rounded.  The  under  surface  is  pale 
and  whitened. 


232  BOW  TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  white  and  bell- 
shaped.  The  bell  is  rounder  than  the  blossom 
of  F. .  Pennsylvanicum.  Only  a  few  flowers  ap- 
pear in  the  cluster. 

This  is  sometimes  considered  as  a  variety  of 
F.  Pennsylvanicum,  and  often  grows  with  it.  It 
differs  from  it  in  having  a  rounder,  bell-like  blos- 
som and  in  the  black  bloomless  fruit. 

Vaccinium  atrococcum  is  sometimes  considered 
as  a  variety  of  F.  corymbosum,  which  is  de- 
scribed in  the  blue  section.  The  stems  and  un- 
der leaf  surfaces  are  downy.  The  berries  are 
black  and  lack  bloom. 


FRINGE   TREE 
Chionanthus  Virginica  Olive  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  purple  oval  drupes  grow  in  loose 
clusters.  They  are  covered  with  a  bloom.  The 
four-parted  calyx  is  persistent  at  the  base  and 
the  style  is  at  the  tip.  The  dry  flesh  contains 
one  stony  seed.  The  skin  is  thick. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  obovate-lanceolate 
leaves  have  stout,  hairy  stems.  They  are  entire, 
and  sharp  or  rounded  at  the  apex.  The  under 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  233 

surface  is  hairy  along  the  veins.  The  leaves 
turn  yellow  in  the  fall. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flower  clusters  are  deco- 
rative among  the  green  foliage.  The  four  nar- 
row petals,  hanging  like  fringes,  give  the  common 
name  to  the  plant. 

The  Greek,  Chionanthus,  meaning  snow  and 
blossom,  refers  to  the  white  flowers.  This  shrub, 
or  small  tree,  is  native  as  far  north  as  New  Jer- 
sey and  southern  Pennsylvania,  and  extends 
southward  to  Florida  and  west  to  Texas,  Ar- 
kansas, and  Kansas.  It  grows  along  the  banks 
of  streams.  It  is  often  cultivated  at  the  north. 


PRIVET 

Ligustrum  vulgare  Olive  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  shining  black  berries  are  from 
one-  to  two-seeded.  They  grow  in  terminal 
panicles. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  deciduous  with  us, 
but  in  the  south  of  Europe  are  evergreen.  They 
are  entire  and  very  smooth. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  are  in 
terminal  panicles. 

The    leaves    and    bark    are    astringent.      In 


234  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FEUITS 

Belgium  and  in  other  parts  of  Europe,  the  small 
twigs  are  powdered  and  used  for  tanning  leather. 
The  juice  of  the  berries  is  used  in  dyeing.  This 
is  a  hardy  shrub  from  six  to  eight  feet  high.  It 
has  been  naturalized  from  Europe.  It  is  often 
used  for  hedges.  Some  of  its  old  English  names 
are  Primwort,  Skedge,  and  Skedgwith. 

Privet  is  reported  growing  on  the  walls  of 
Cologne  Cathedral,  the  seeds  obviously  having 
been  deposited  there  by  bird  agencies. 


BLACK  OR   GARDEN  NIGHTSHADE 

Solanum  iiigrum  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  Smallish,  black,  globular  berries  grow 
in  drooping  clusters  from  the  side  of  the  stems. 
Their  pedicels  are  slender,  and  the  five-parted 
calyx  is  at  the  base.  The  berries  are  smooth 
and  contain  many  thin,  flat  seeds. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  leaves  usually  have  one 
side  which  is  slightly  longer  than  the  other. 
They  are  wavy-toothed,  thin,  and  have  thin 
stems. 

Flowers.  —  The  five-lobed  white  flowers  grow 
in  lateral  clusters.  July-September. 


BLACK  NIGHTSHADE  (Solatium  nigrum) 


286  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

By  the  roadside  and  in  waste  places,  the  Black 
Nightshade  occasionally  appears.  It  is  a  rather 
low  spreading  annual. 


AMERICAN   ELDER.      SWEET   ELDER 

Sambucus  Canadensis  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  Large,  full,  flat,  drooping  clusters  of 
purplish  or  almost  black  drupes  grow  at  the  ends 
of  the  branches.  Usually,  five  small  nutlets  and 
purplish  juice  are  the  contents  of  each  fruit. 
The  calyx  teeth  and  stigma  are  visible  at  the 
summit.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  are  opposite. 
Their  five  to  eleven  leaflets  grow  on  short  stems, 
and  are  oblong  or  ovate.  They  are  coarsely  and 
sharply  toothed,  the  teeth  sometimes  hooked. 
The  under  surface  is  lighter  than  the  upper,  and 
hairy.  The  tip  is  acute  and  the  base  rounded, 
acute,  or  heart-shaped. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  whitish,  fragrant  flowers 
grow  in  a  flat  compound  cyme. 

In  July,  this  blossoming  shrub  delights  both 
the  sense  of  sight  and  that  of  smell  as  one  passes 
along  the  roadway  bordered  by  it.  In  the  fall, 


tiLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  237 

at  school-opening  season,  the  drooping  clusters 
of  fruit  are  a  feast  for  the  eye ;  are  sometimes 
used  for  pies  and  homemade  wine ;  and  furnish 
material  for  the  country  boy's  ink  bottle,  much  to 
the  distress  of  his  school  ma'am.  Professor  Budd 
is  responsible  for  the  statement,  that  with  the 
addition  of  an  acid,  vinegar  or  lemon  juice, 
Elderberries  make  as  good  a  pie  as  Huckle- 
berries. 

The  new  growths  are  smooth  and  green,  and 
the  older  stems  are  grayish,  with  raised  dots. 
The  pith  is  white,  distinguishing  this  Elder  from 
the  Red-berried,  which  has  a  brown  pith.  It  is  a 
common  plant  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 


MAPLE-LEAVED   VIBURNUM   OR   ARROW- 
WOOD.      DOCKMACKIE 

Viburnum  aceriiolium  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  smallish  drupes  are  somewhat 
oval  in  shape,  with  two  opposite  sides  flattened. 
They  are  pointed  at  the  tip.  They  are  nearly 
black  when  ripe.  The  flesh  is  thin  and  the 
stone  is  doubly  convex,  with  one  ridged  surface 
and  the  other  one  slightly  two-grooved.  The 


238 


HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 


MAPLE-LEAVED  VIBURNUM  (Viburnum  acerifolium) 

fruits  are  borne  in  a  terminal  flat  cluster,  on 
reddish  downy  stems.  Late  August,  September, 
and  persistent  through  the  winter. 


BLACK  OR   DARK  PURPLE  239 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  in  pairs,  with  tiny 
stipules  at  the  base  of  the  stems.  The  under 
surface  of  the  leaf  is  lighter  than  the  upper,  and 
is  soft,  with  down.  The  shape  varies  from  oval 
to  somewhat  three-lobed.  The  leaves  are  un- 
evenly toothed. 

Flowers. — The  flower  cluster  consists  of 
perfect,  small,  white,  or  cream-colored  blossoms. 
May,  June. 

This  is  a  low  shrub,  seldom  exceeding  six 
feet  in  height.  It  is  quite  readily  distinguished 
by  the  resemblance  of  its  leaves  to  those  of  the 
Red  Maple.  It  grows  on  the  border  of  woods 
south  to  North  Carolina  and  west  to  Michigan 
and  Minnesota. 


DOWNY-LEAVED   ARROWWOOD 

Viburnum  pubescens  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  dark  purple  oval  drupes  are 
clustered.  The  flesh  is  thin  and  the  stone  is 
two-grooved  on  each  surface.  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  leaves  are  stemless  or 
nearly  so.  They  are  coarsely  toothed  and  acute 
at  apex,  or  sometimes  the  point  is  long  drawn 


240  HOW   TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

out.  The  under  surface  is  soft  with  down. 
Purple  and  red  are  the  foliage  colors  of  autumn, 
which  contrast  with  the  dark  berries. 

Flowers.  —  The  abundant  white  flowers  grow 
in  an  open  cyme. 

The  sessile,  or  nearly  sessile,  leaves  and  their 
soft  pubescence  are  characteristics  of  this  low 
branching  shrub  of  rocky  woods.  It  extends 
south  along  the  Alleghanies  to  Georgia.  It 
ranges  west  to  Minnesota  and  Iowa. 

WITHE-ROD 
Viburnum  cassinoides  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globose  or  ovoid  drupes  are 
borne  on  red  stems.  The  cluster  presents  a 
most  attractive  appearance  with  light  green, 
pink,  and  blue-black  fruits  in  various  stages  of 
ripening.  The  dark  drupes  are  covered  with  a 
soft  blue  bloom.  The  minute  calyx  and  stigma 
persist  at  the  tip.  The  flesh  is  quite  abundant 
and  sweet.  The  stone  is  flat,  with  a  slight  hol- 
low on  one  side  and  a  convex  surface  on  the 
other.  Late  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  thickish  opposite  leaves  grow 
on  flattened  petioles,  which  nearly  encircle  the 


WITHE-ROD  (Viburnum  cassinoides) 
a  241 


BLACK  OR  DARK  PURPLE  243 

smaller  branches.  Brown  circular  dots  appear 
on  the  upper  surface  of  the  leaf  along  the  mid- 
vein,  and  are  scattered  about  on  the  under 
surface.  The  leaf  is  usually  ovate,  with  a  blunt 
tip.  The  teeth  are  fine  and  somewhat  rounded, 
or  the  margin  is  sometimes  entire. 

Flowers.  —  The  flower  cluster  is  quite  large 
and  full.  The  whitish  flowers  are  small,  perfect, 
and  five-parted.  June. 

The  shrub  is  rather  straggling,  and  has  an 
ash-colored  bark.  The  twigs  are  somewhat 
scurfy  and  dotted.  The  slender  last  year's 
growth  is  sometimes  used  in  binding  sheaves. 
It  is  a  swamp  plant,  and  extends  south  to  New 
Jersey  and  west  to  Minnesota. 


LARGER   WITHE-ROD 
Viburnum  nudum  Honeysuckle  Family 

This  is  usually  a  larger  species  than  Viburnum 
cassinoides,  and  has  a  southern  range  extending 
from  New  Jersey  south  to  Florida.  The  leaves 
are  more  prominently  veined  than  in  the  preced- 
ing, and  sometimes  scurfy  above.  The  margin 
is  generally  entire. 


244  HOW  TO   KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

SWEET     VIBURNUM.      SHEEPBERRY 
NANNY   BERRY 

Viburnum  Lentago  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupes  are  crimson,  before  ripen- 
ing to  a  dark  blue  or  black,  and  the  two  colors 
often  mingle  in  the  fruit  cluster.  The  fruits 
are  covered  with  bloom,  are  drooping,  and  the 
clusters  have  slender  red  stalks.  The  calyx  tube, 
with  the  projecting  stigma,  is  at  the  summit. 
The  fruit  is  rather  large  and  edible.  The  stone 
is  flattened,  has  a  blunt  point,  and  is  grooved  on 
both  sides.  September,  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  broad  oval  leaves  are  sharp- 
pointed,  and  are  sharply  and  closely  toothed. 
The  leaf  stem  is  usually  winged  or  margined. 
In  the  fall  the  leaves  are  deep  red  or  marked 
with  orange. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
terminal  cymes.  The  numerous  yellow  anthers 
give  the 'flower  a  yellowish  appearance,  May, 
June. 

This  small  tree  has  rusty,  scurfy,  scale-like 
bark,  especially  on  the  young  shoots.  Its  foliage 
is  good,  and  the  flower  clusters  large  and  showy. 


SWEET  VIBURNUM  (Viburnum  Lentago) 
245 


HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FftUlTS 

It  occurs  quite  frequently  in  woods  and  along 
streams  from  Canada  to  Georgia,  and  west  to 
Minnesota  and  Missouri. 


BLACK   HAW.      STAG  BUSH 

Viburnum  prunifolium  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit. — -The  dark  blue,  nearly  black,  oval 
drupes  are  borne  in  a  few-fruited  .cluster.  The 
fruits  are  whitened  with  a  bloom.  The  oval 
stone  is  flat  on  one  side  and  a  trifle  curved  on 
the  other.  The  flavor  of  the  fruit  is  improved 
after  having  been  frosted.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  leaves  are  usually  obtuse 
at  the  apex  and  finely  toothed.  They  are  dark 
green  above  and  lighter  beneath.  They  grow 
on  short  stems  which  are  sometimes  winged. 

Flowers.  —  The  cream-white  flowers  grow  in  a 
flat-topped  cluster.  May. 

This  ^Viburnum,  like  the  Sweet  Viburnum, 
sometimes  reaches  the  stature  of  a  tree.  It  is 
found  from  Connecticut  to  Florida,  and  extends 
west  to  Michigan,  Kansas,  and  Texas. 


BLUE 


BLUE 

COMMON  JUNIPER 

Juniperus  communis  Pine  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berrylike  cones  do  not  develop 
until  the  second  year,  and  often  remain  on  the 
branches  some  time  after  ripening.  When  fully 
ripe,  in  the  fall  of  the  second  year,  the  fruits 
are  dark  blue  with  a  bloom.  They  are  usually 
three-seeded.  The  flesh  of  the  berry  is  dry  and 
mealy.  The  seeds  are  slow  in  germinating,  re- 
quiring two  years.  The  fruit  develops  from 
three  fleshy  scales,  united  from  their  bases  nearly 
to  the  tips,  and  inclosing  three  ovules.  When 
ripe,  the  tips  of  the  scales  are  still  visible,  with 
lines  from  each  joining  in  a  common  center. 
The  berry  is  nearly  stemless  and  axillary.  It 
is  much  used  in  making  gin,  an  infusion  of  the 
berries  being  added  to  distilled  grain. 

Leaves.  —  The  short,  stemless,  sharp-pointed 
leaves  are  arranged  in  whorls  of  three.  They 
are  bright  green  and  shining  on  the  lower  sur- 

249 


Low  JUNIPER  (Juniperus  nana) 
250 


BLUE  251 

face,  and  channeled  and  whitened  on  the  upper 
one.  The  whitened  appearance  of  the  upper  sur- 
face is  due  to  a  thin  layer  of  wax,  which  covers 
and  protects,  from  dew  and  rain,  the  stomata, 
or  openings,  of  the  air  passages. 

Flowers.  —  The  st animate  and  pistillate  flow- 
ers grow  in  aments  on  separate  plants.  April, 
May. 

Juniperus  communis  is  an  erect  shrub  or  small 
tree,  common  to  the  northern  portions  of  Europe, 
Asia,  and  America.  In  the  latter  continent  it 
extends  as  far  south  as  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Nebraska,  Michigan,  and  along  the  Kock- 
ies  to  New  Mexico. 

Juniperus  nana  (Juniperus  communis,  var.  al- 
pina  of  Gray)  is  distinguished  from  the  pre- 
ceding by  a  growth  in  low  circular  patches. 
These  spread  over  waste  rocky  hillsides  and 
are  eradicated  with  difficulty.  The  leaves  are 
somewhat  stouter  and  less  spreading  than  those 
of  Juniperus  communis. 


252  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

RED    CEDAR 
Juiiiperus  Virginiana  Pine  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruits  are  globular  or  flattened 
and  wider  at  the  top,  giving  the  "  berry "  a 
triangular  outline.  The  so-called  "  berry "  is 
formed  by  the  coalescence  of  fleshy  scales,  the 
tips  of  which  are  indicated  by  tiny  projections 
on  the  fruit.  It  grows  on  a  straight  peduncle 
and  contains  one  or  two  seeds.  Seeds  and 
flesh  are  aromatic.  October,  November,  and 
persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  of  two  kinds.  On 
the  younger  trees  they  are  often  awrl-shaped  and 
arranged  loosely  along  the  branches.  These 
also  appear  on  older  trees,  together  with  short, 
scale-like,  overlapping  leaves  crowded  closely 
together. 

Flowers.  —  The  sterile  and  fertile  flowers  are 
usually  'on  different  trees,  sometimes  on  the 
same  tree.  The  flowers  are  small  and  grow  in 
terminal  aments.  April,  May. 

The  Red  Cedar  is  a  shrub  or  tree  with  reddish 
brown  bark,  which  peels  off  in  shreds  on  the 
older  growths.  The  wood  is  whitish  or  red,  and 


BLUE 


253 


RED  CEDAR 
(Juniperus  Virginiana) 


has  a  pleasant,  persistent  odor.     It  is  used  for 
pencils,  small  boxes,  fence  posts,  and  sometimes 


254  HOW   TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

pails.     It  is  very  durable,  but  has  been  used  so 
extravagantly  that  it  is  now  expensive. 

The  Cedar  seeds  are  scattered  by  birds,  and  the 
trees  often  grow  along  fence  rows.  They  reach 
their  greatest  magnitude  in  swamps  and  low 
grounds  of  the  south,  but  are  common  through- 
out the  United  States.  In  the  north,  they  grow 
on  dry  hills  as  well  as  near  swamps. 


SHRUBBY   RED   CEDAR 

Juniperus  Sabina  Pine  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  differs  from  that  of  the 
Red  Cedar  in  being  borne  on  recurved  stemlike 
branches  instead  of  on  erect  ones. 

The  leaves  are  of  two  kinds,  similar  to  those 
of  the  preceding  species. 

The  Shrubby  Red  Cedar  is  a  prostrate,  some- 
times creeping  shrub,  seldom  more  than  four  feet 
high;  It  grows  on  the  borders  of  swamps  or  on 
rocky  banks  in  New  England  to  Minnesota,  and 
northward. 


YELLOW  CLINTONIA  (Clintonia  borealis) 


256 


BLUE  257 

YELLOW  CLINTONIA 
Clintonia  borealis  Lily-of-the- Valley  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  ovoid  berry  is  almost  a  pure  blue 
in  color.  It  is  many-seeded.  The  umbel  of 
fruit  grows  at  the  top  of  an  erect  stem.  August. 

Leaves.  —  There  are  two  to  four  shiny,  oval  or 
oblong,  light  green  leaves,  with  their  stalks  act- 
ing as  a  sheath  for  the  base  of  the  scape. 

Flowers.  —  The  three  to  six,  greenish,  droop- 
ing flowers  grow  at  the  summit  of  the  scape. 
May,  June. 

The  plant  is  named  in  honor  of  De  Witt 
Clinton,  who  was  a  governor  of  New  York  State 
and  a  naturalist.  It  grows  from  six  inches  to 
a  foot  in  height.  The  rootstock  is  slender  and 
creeping. 

It  is  found  in  woods  from  Labrador  to  North 
Carolina.  Its  western  limit  is  Minnesota. 

BLUE  COHOSH.   PAPOOSE  ROOT 

Caulophyllum  tbalictroides  Barberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  resembles  a  drupe,  but  is  a 
naked  seed  with  the  outer  coat  fleshy.  There 


258  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

are  originally  two  seeds  in  the  developing  ovary. 
As  these  grow  they  burst  their  membranous 
covering  and  continue  growth  as  pairs  of  naked 
seeds.  The  fruit  is  blue  with  a  bloom,  globular, 
and  borne  on  short  stout  stalks.  The  fruits  grow 
in  raceme-like  clusters. 

Leaves.  —  There  is  one  large  leaf  at  the  top  of 
the  stem  and  sometimes  a  smaller  one  near  the 
base  of  the  flower.  The  compound  leaf  is  thrice- 
parted  and  the  leaflets  have  two  or  three  lobes. 
They  are  coarsely  toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  yellowish  green, 
small,  and  in  racemes.  April,  May. 

This  herb  of  early  growth  appears,  in  rich 
woods,  in  April.  When  young,  the  whole  plant  is 
bloom-covered.  It  is  more  common  to  the  west- 
ward, and  extends  as  far  south  as  South  Carolina. 


SASSAFRAS 

Sassafras  sassafras  Sassafras  officinale 

Laurel  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  an  oval  dark  blue  drupe. 
This  fits  into  a  red  hollow  cup,  which  is  thick- 
ened calyx  and  fleshy  stem.  The  calyx  teeth 


BLUE  COHOSH  (Caulophyllwn  thalictroides) 
259 


BLUE  261 

scallop  the  edge  of  the  cup.  The  flesh  of  the 
drupe  is  rather  thin  and  the  stone  large.  The 
cotyledons  are  large  and  fleshy.  The  fruits  grow 
singly  or  in  small  clusters  from  the  base  of  the 
season's  shoots.  The  fruit  is  eaten  by  birds,  but 
is  unpleasantly  spicy.  August. 

Leaves.  —  On  the  mature  trees,  oval  leaves 
predominate.  The  young  shoots  bear  oval 
leaves ;  leaves  with  a  lobe  at  one  side,  looking 
like  the  thumb  of  a  mitten ;  or  three-lobed 
leaves,  with  two  lateral  lobes  and  a  terminal 
one.  The  hollows  of  the  lobed  leaves  are 
rounded.  The  young  leaves  are  reddish  but 
become  dark  green  above  with  a  lighter  lower 
surface.  The  leaves  and  twigs  are  mucilaginous. 
Yellow  and  orange  are  the  fall  colors. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow  dioecious  flow- 
ers grow  in  drooping  many-flowered  racemes. 

Sassafras  and  Spice  Bush  are  our  only  repre- 
sentatives of  a  large  family  that,  in  the  tropics, 
include  plants  that  yield  cinnamon,  camphor, 
and  several  differently  scented  woods.  The 
Laurel  or  Bay  Tree,  whose  leaves  were  used  by 
the  ancients  in  making  wreaths  with  which  to 
crown  their  heroes,  is  also  a  member  of  this 
family. 


262  HOW  TO  SNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

Aromatic  bark  is  a  common  characteristic. 
The  bark  and  roots  are  ingredients  in  root  beer, 
and  from  the  bark  of  the  roots  oil  of  sassafras  is 
made.  The  bark  of  the  Sassafras  is  much  cracked 
and  roughened.  Emerson  says  that,  in  the  south- 
western parts  of  the  country,  the  dried  leaves 
of  the  Sassafras  are  much  used  for  flavoring 
soups.  Columbus  is  said  to  have  increased  his 
own  hope  of  being  near  land,  and  to  have 
quieted  the  mutinies  of  his  crew,  from  catching 
whiffs  of  the  strong  fragrance  of  the  Sassafras. 
Sassafras  roots  were  a  part  of  the  first  cargo  to 
be  sent  from  Massachusetts  to  England.  At 
that  time  they  were  much  prized  for  supposed 
medicinal  properties.  The  wood  is  brittle,  but 
when  seasoned  is  tough  and  light.  The  trees 
grow  rapidly  and  spread  by  suckers,  often  form- 
ing thickets.  The  range  is  through  the  Missis- 
sippi valley  and  eastward. 


ROUND-LEAVED   CORNEL  OR   DOGWOOD 

Cormis  circinata  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  drupe  is  very  light  blue 
or  white.     The  fruit  develops  sparingly  and  the 


BLUE  263 

cymes  are  not  very  full.  The  stone  is  nearly 
globose  and  somewhat  ridged.  It  is  aromatic 
and  bitter.  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  nearly  round,  some- 
times even  broader  than  long.  The  apex  is  acute 
and  the  base  rounded  or  heart-shaped.  The  under 
surface  is  densely  hairy  and  has  prominent  veins. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  blossoms  are  rather 
large  and  in  full-blossomed  cymes.  The  pedi- 
cels are  somewhat  hairy. 

This  shrub  is  quite  spreading  in  its  habit,  and 
from  three  to  ten  feet  high.  Its  branches  are 
green  and  warty.  The  leaves  are  distinctively 
broad.  It  grows  in  the  shade  and  often  among 
rocks.  It  extends  from  Nova  Scotia  to  Virginia. 


SILKY   CORNEL.      KINNIKINNIK 

Cornus  Amonum  Cornus  sericea 

Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupes  vary  in  ripening  from 
green  to  pale  blue.  They  are  globular,  with 
the  calyx  teeth  persistent  in  a  depression  at  the 
summit.  The  flesh  is  whitish  and  the  stone 
noticeably  ridged.  The  fruits  grow  in  a  flat 


SILKY  CORNEL  (Cornus  Amonum) 
264 


BLUE  265 

terminal  cluster.  The  peduncles  and  pedicels 
are  reddish  and  clothed  with  soft  down.  Late 
August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  simple,  opposite  leaves  are 
ovate  or  elliptical.  The  tip  is  pointed  and  the 
base  is  rounded  or  often  uneven,  one  side  being 
longer  than  the  other.  The  stems  and  under 
leaf  surfaces  are  downy,  sometimes  rusty. 

flowers.  —  The  small  white  flowers  grow  in 
flat  compact  cymes.  June. 

This  shrub  is  erect  and  somewhat  spreading. 
Its  green  bark  has  a  reddish  tinge  and  in  winter 
the  branches  become  purplish.  The  branchlets, 
stems,  and  lower  leaf  surfaces  are  finely  woolly. 
It  is  one  of  the  latest  of  the  family  to  blossom 
but  fruits  in  company  with  the  Panicled  Cornel, 
the  two  often  forming  hedges  along  the  fence 
rows  and  highways.  It  is  very  decorative  in 
fruit,  and  is  being  more  and  more  used  by 
landscape  gardeners.  It  grows  quite  exten- 
sively as  far  west  as  the  Dakotas  and  south 
to  the  gulf. 


266  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

ALTERNATE-LEAVED   CORNEL   OR 

DOGWOOD 
Cormis  alternifolia  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small  deep  blue  drupes  grow  in 
an  irregularly  branched  drooping  cyme.  Pedun- 
cles and  pedicels  are  a  deep  red.  The  flesh  of 
the  drupe  is  scanty,  white  or  pinkish,  and  of 
a  pithy  texture.  There  is  but  one  stone,  which 
is  globose  and  usually  two-seeded.  The  style 
projects  through  the  minute  calyx  tube,  at  the 
summit  of  the  fruit.  The  drupe  is  tenaciously 
bitter.  It  ripens  in  early  August,  being  one  of 
the  first  Dogwoods  to  fruit. 

Leaves.  —  The  alternate  leaves  usually  grow 
in  clusters  at  the  ends  of  the  branches.  They 
are  entire  or  minutely  toothed,  and  ovate  or 
oval.  The  pointed  apex  is  long  drawn  out  and 
the  base  is  rounded  or  acute.  The  upper  surface 
is  shining  and  dark  green  ;  the  lower  one,  whit- 
ened and  covered  with  fine  hairs,  especially  along 
the  veins.  The  veins  are  prominent  on  the 
under  surface,  looking  like  tiny  cords  running 
through  the  leaf.  The  petiole  has  a  grooved 
upper  surface.  Yellow  or  yellow  and  scarlet  are 
the  fall  colors. 


ALTERNATE-LEAVED  CORNEL  (Cornus  alternifolid) 


267 


BLUE  269 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  white,  four-parted 
flowers  grow  in  broad  loose  cymes.  June. 

This  is  a  pretty  shrub  or  small  tree,  distin- 
guished from  the  other  Dogwoods  by  its  alternate 
leaves.  Its  flower  clusters,  too,  differ,  the  second- 
ary stalks  growing  alternately  instead  of  start- 
ing from  the  same  point.  The  leaf  clusters  are 
broad  and  flat,  and  so  arranged  as  to  form  a  green 
background  for  the  red  and  black  of  the  fruit 
cluster.  This  Dogwood  fruit,  bitter  though  it 
is,  serves  as  food  for  the  birds.  It  is  common 
from  New  Brunswick  to  Minnesota  and  as  far 
south  as  Georgia. 


BLUE  TANGLE.  TANGLEBERRY.  DANGLE- 

BERRY 
Gaylussacia  frondosa  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  long  loose  clusters  of  berrylike 
drupes  are  characteristic  of  this  species.  The 
separate  fruits  are  rather  large,  dark  blue  with  a 
white  bloom,  globose,  and  sweet  with  a  slight 
acidity.  The  calyx  teeth  crown  the  summit. 
The  fruits  ripen  late  and  are  rather  scarce. 
July,  August. 


270  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  —  The  short-petioled  leaves  are  thin, 
large,  pale  green,  whitened  and  resinous  on  the 
under  surface,  and  oval  to  inversely  egg-shaped. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  pink  bells,  as  Emer- 
son says,  "  hang  dangling  on  slender  strings, 
from  one  to  three  inches  long."  These  stems  are 
bracted,  and  the  raceme-like  flower  cluster  is  long 
and  loose.  May,  June. 

In  New  England,  the  Dangleberry  grows 
mostly  along  the  coast.  It  extends  south  to 
Florida  and  Louisiana  and  west  to  Ohio.  It 
prefers  moist  ground,  and  the  fruit  in  the 
warmer  locations  is  of  improved  quality. 


BOX  HUCKLEBERRY 

Gaylussacia  brachycera  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  light  blue,  berry  like  drupes  grow 
in  short  clusters.  They  have  ten  seedlike  nut- 
lets. 

Leaves.  —  The  evergreen  leaves  are  thick  and 
leathery,  and  lack  the  resinous  dots  common  to 
the  rest  of  the  genus.  They  are  oval,  and  the 
margins  have  rounded  teeth  and  are  somewhat 
rolled  backwards.  The  leaf  stems  are  very  short. 


SLUE  271 

Flowers.  —  The  white  or  pink  bell-shaped 
flowers  grow  on  very  short  pedicels,  in  short 
racemes.  May. 

This  low  shrub,  scarcely  exceeding  a  foot  in 
height,  has  a  limited  range,  occurring  in  dry 
woods  from  Delaware  and  Pennsylvania  to  Vir- 
ginia. 


GREAT   BILBERRY 

Vaccinium  uliginosum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  blue,  bloom-covered,  globular 
berries  usually  grow  singly  or  in  clusters  of 
from  two  to  four.  They  are  four-  or  five-celled, 
sweet,  and  not  very  abundant.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  The  oblong  or  obovate  leaves,  when 
fully  grown,  are  thick,  bright  green  above  and 
paler  beneath.  They  are  entire  and  nearly 
stemless. 

Flowers.  —  The  solitary  or  few-clustered  pink 
flowers  have  their  parts  mostly  in  fours. 

This  is  a  low  tufted  shrub  with  many 
branches.  It  inhabits  the  mountain  heights  of 
New  England  and  New  York,  the  shore  of  Lake 
Superior,  and  thence  northward  to  Alaska.  It  is 


272  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

also   found   in   the    northern   countries    of    the 
Eastern  Hemisphere. 


DWARF   BILBERRY 

Vaccinium  caespitosum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berry  is  globular  and  blue,  with 
a  bloom.  It  has  a  sweet  flavor.  It  is  five-celled. 
The  fruits  usually  grow  singly  in  the  leaf  axils. 
August. 

Leaves.  —  The  smooth  shining  leaves  are  ob- 
ovate,  with  small  blunt  teeth.  The  petioles  are 
very  short. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  or  pink  flowers  are  bell- 
shaped. 

This  is  mainly  a  mountain  or  cold  country 
shrub,  and  grows  to  a  height  of  from  four 
inches  to  two  feet. 


HIGH-BUSH  OR   TALL  BLUEBERRY 
Vaccinium  corymbosum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit. --The  berries  differ  much  in  color, 
some  varieties  bearing  shiny  black  berries,  some 
black  with  a  blue  bloom,  and  some  blue.  The 


BLUE 


273 


HIGH-BUSH  BLUEBERRY  (Vaccinium  corymboswri) 

size  of  the  berry  is  alsc  variable.     The  berries 
grow  in  a  cluster  at  the  end  of  a  short,  nearly 


274  BOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

leafless  branch  of  last  year's  growth.  The  calyx 
teeth  are  noticeable  at  the  summit  of  the  berry. 
Some  berries  are  very  sweet  and  others  rather 
acid.  July,  August. 

Leaves.  —  In  the  typical  form  the  margins  are 
entire.  After  the  time  of  flowering,  the  leaves 
broaden  without  increasing  in  length.  They  are 
oval  or  elliptical-lanceolate.  The  petioles  are 
short.  The  under  surface  is  paler  than  the 
upper  and  may  be  smooth  or  hairy. 

Flowers.  —  The  blossoms  are  white  or  pink- 
ish, cylindrical,  and  somewhat  narrowed  at  the 
throat.  They  grow  in  short  racemes. 

The  High  Blueberry  grows  to  a  height  of 
from  four  to  ten  feet.  It  forms  a  bushy 
shrub.  On  the  older  branches  the  bark  roughens 
and  comes  off  in  shreads.  The  leaves  add  their 
scarlet  and  orange  colorings  to  the  brilliancy  of 
the  autumnal  swamp  foliage.  These  berries 
grow  as  far  north  as  Newfoundland,  west  to 
Minnesota,  and  south  to  Virginia.  While  reach- 
ing their  most  luxuriant  growth  in  swamps, 
they  are  also  abundantly  found  in  old  pastures. 


276 


BLUE  277 

DWARF   BLUEBERRY 
Vaccinium  Pennsylvanicum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  globular  blue  berries  are  covered 
with  bloom.  They  grow  in  clusters  at  the  ends 
of  the  branches.  The  five  calyx  teeth  are  very 
prominent.  Each  berry  contains  many  small 
seeds  and  is  usually  ten-celled.  June,  July. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval-lanceolate  leaves  are  stem- 
less  and  acute  at  both  ends.  The  teeth  are 
minute  and  bristle-like.  Each  surface  is  shining, 
but  the  lower  one  is  lighter  green  than  the  upper. 
They  are  alternate  in  arrangement.  In  autumn 
they  change  to  red  colorings  and  fall  early. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  bell-shaped  flowers  grow 
in  few-flowered  racemes. 

This  is  a  dwarf  shrub,  with  rough  green 
branches,  which  are  thickly  covered  with  tiny 
white,  raised  dots.  It  is  the  earliest  of  the 
Blueberries  to  ripen,  growing  usually  in  rather 
exposed  positions.  It  favors  a  thin,  sandy  soil, 
and  especially  frequents  dry  pine  woods.  It  has 
a  sweet  and  delicious  flavor  and  such  tiny  seeds 
that  it  is  a  much  more  pleasant  berry  to  eat  than 
the  Huckleberry.  It  is  soft,  however,  and  easily 


278  now  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

bruised,  which  prevents  its  being  largely  mar- 
keted. George  Emerson  says  it  is  suitable  for 
drying,  and  then  forms  a  good  substitute  for 
currants,  for  use  in  cakes,  etc.  The  cluster  of 
ripening  fruit  presents  an  attractive  color  combi- 
nation, with  its  green,  pink,  red,  and  blue  berries. 
Vaccinium  Canadense,  or  Canadian  Blueberry, 
is  similar  to  the  preceding,  but  has  leaves 
which  are  downy  on  both  sides  and  which 
have  entire  margins.  The  branchlets  are  also 
downy.  The  fruit  ripens  later  in  July  or 
August.  It  has  a  more  northern  range,  being 
most  abundant  in  Canada.  It  is  also  found 
along  the  mountains,  south  to  Virginia.  It 
likes  moist  woods  and  swamps. 


LOW  BLUEBERRY 

Vaccinium  vacillans  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  of  this  shrub  are  borne 
in  raceme-like  clusters  at  the  end  of  a  nearly 
leafless  twig.  The  calyx  teeth  are  plainly  visi- 
ble at  the  summit.  The  fruit  when  ripe  is 
blue,  with  a  bloom.  It  is  slightly  more  acid 
than  Vaccinium  Pennsylvanicum  but  of  good 


BLUE  279 

flavor.  The  berries  ripen  later  than  the  pre- 
ceding. July,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  oval  or  obovate,  dull 
green  above  and  glaucous  beneath.  They  are 
narrowed  or  rounded  at  the  base,  and  have 
short  stems.  The  apex  is  acute  and  ends  in 
a  short  bristle.  The  margin  is  entire  or  nearly 
so,  and  the  leaves  are  alternate.  In  the  fall 
the  foliage  changes  to  deep  reds. 

Flowers.  —  The  pink  or  greenish  bell-shaped 
blossoms  are  somewhat  contracted  at  the  mouth. 
They  grow  in  clusters. 

This  shrub  varies  from  one  to  four  feet  .in 
height.  It  is  stiff  and  erect.  It  grows,  in  light 
soil  along  the  wood  borders  and  shaded  road- 
sides from  New  Hampshire  west  to  Michigan, 
and  south  to  Carolina  and  Missouri.  The  plant 
is  prolific,  and  when  all  the  berries  in  the  cluster 
have  ripened  the  fruit  may  be  stripped  off  by 
handfuls. 

ARROWWOOD 

Viburnum  dentatum  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruits  are  blue,  —  dark  lead, 
Emerson  calls  them,  —  but  when  gathered  or 


280  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

overripe  become  bluish  black.  They  are  oval, 
with  calyx  teeth  and  stigmas  at  the  pointed  tip. 
The  flesh  is  thin,  and  the  stone  rounded  on 
one  side  and  with  a  rather  deep  groove  on  the 
other,  making  a  cross  section  resemble  a  horse- 
shoe that  has  been  flattened  at  the  toe.  The 
fruits  grow  in  a  flat-topped,  erect  cluster.  They 
are  dry  and  puckery,  but  are  eaten  by  birds. 
August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  opposite,  coarsely 
and  prominently  toothed,  ovate,  pointed  at  the 
tip,  and  rounded  or  heart-shaped  at  the  base. 
The  petioles  are  short.  Little  tufts  of  hair  are 
often  in  the  axils  of  the  midrib  and  branching 
veins  on  the  lower  surface.  The  leaves  are 
yellowish  green.  Dark  red  is  the  autumnal 
color. 

This  shrub  is  from  five  to  fifteen  feet  high, 
and  has  smooth  gray  bark.  The  under  leaf 
surface  has  the  little  clusters  of  down  in  the 
axils."  The  name  Arrowwood  is  applied  to 
the  shrub  from  the  use  made  of  the  young 
shoots  for  arrows  by  the  Indians.  It  inhabits 
moist  places  and  borders  streams.  It  extends 
south,  along  the  mountains,  to  Georgia  and  west 
to  Minnesota. 


ABROWWOOD  (Viburnum  dentatuni) 
281 


282  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

SOFT-LEAVED  ARROWWOOD 
Viburnum  molle  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  blue  drupe  is  similar  to  the  fruit 
of  the  preceding  species.  It  is  larger,  sharply 
pointed,  and  oily.  The  depression  of  the  stone 
is  not  so  deep  as  in  Viburnum  dentatum. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  somewhat  larger 
than  those  of  the  Arrowwood,  but  differ  prin- 
cipally in  being  covered  with  soft  hairs  on  the 
under  surface. 

Viburnum  molle  is  principally  distinguished 
from  Viburnum  dentatum  by  the  pubescence  on 
twigs,  leaf,  and  flower  stems,  and  lower  leaf  sur- 
faces. It  grows  along  the  coast  from  eastern 
Massachusetts  to  Florida,  and  Texas. 


BLUE   OR  MOUNTAIN   FLY  HONEYSUCKLE 

Lonicera  ccerulea  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.—  The  berry  is  formed  by  the  coales- 
cence of  two  maturing  ovaries.  The  exterior  of 
the  fruit  shows  its  double  structure  by  the  two 
tiny  "  eyes  "  at  the  apex,  each  marking  the  rem- 


\ 


BLUE  OR  MOUNTAIN  FLY  HONEYSUCKLE  (Lonicera  cosmled) 
283. 


284  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

nant  of  a  slightly  five-toothed  calyx.  A  cross  sec 
tion  of  the  berry  shows  a  clearly  marked  partition 
between  the  two  ovaries.  The  berries  grow  on 
short  peduncles.  They  are  round  or  ovate  and 
dark  blue,  with  a  bloom.  The  berry  is  quite 
juicy,  but  the  flavor  is  unpleasant.  June. 

Leaves.  —  The  thickish,  opposite,  ovate  leaves 
are  rounded  or  narrowed  at  the  base  and  obtuse 
at  the  apex.  The  upper  and  the  under  surfaces 
of  the  leaf  are  slightly  hairy,  as  is  the  margin. 

Flowers.  —  The  pale  yellow  blossoms  grow 
on  short  stems  in  the  axils  of  the  leaves.  The 
ovaries  are  almost  united.  May. 

This  is  a  low  upright  shrub,  from  one  to  two 
feet  high.  It  is  quite  common  in  mountain 
woods  and  bogs.  The  plant  presents  an  inter- 
esting example  of  reserve  buds.  Three  almost 
equal  buds  are  formed,  one  above  another,  in 
each  axil.  The  following  year  one  bud  develops 
into  a  shoot  and  the  other  two  remain  as  they 
are,  unless  the  first  shoot  is  destroyed,  when 
another  bud  develops  to  take  its  place.  These 
reserve  buds  are  said  to  keep  their  vitality  for 
several  years. 


YELLOW 


YELLOW 

NORTH    AMERICAN   PAPAW 
Asimina  triloba  Custard- Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  Several  large  fleshy  berries  are  borne 
together  on  a  thickened  peduncle.  These  fruit 
stems  grow  laterally  from  the  axils  of  last  year's 
leaves.  Each  berry  is  from  two  to  six  inches 
long  and  somewhat  resembles  a  green  banana. 
Its  color,  when  ripe,  is  a  yellowish  green,  and  it  is 
covered  with  a  whitish  bloom.  The  pulp  is  light 
yellow  and  of  a  fine  grain,  is  soft  and  sweet. 
Two  rows  of  flat  beanlike  seeds  are  arranged 
horizontally  and  alternate  with  each  other 
throughout  the  length  of  the  berry.  The 
seeds  are  inclosed  in  fleshy  arils.  They  are 
large,  and  form  an  obstacle  to  the  pleasure  of 
eating  the  fruit ;  the  flavor  is  also  too  aromatic 
to  be  greatly  relished.  October. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  large,  from  ten  to 
twelve  inches  long  and  four  to  five  broad.  They 
are  entire,  alternate,  and  short-petioled.  They 

287 


288  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

are  reverse  egg-shaped  with  acute  apex,  and 
pointed  or  slightly  rounded  base.  The  color 
of  the  fall  leaf  is  dirty  yellow. 

Flowers.  —  The  solitary  flowers  are  green  at 
opening,  changing  through  browns  and  }^ellows 
to  a  deep  red.  They  have  two  rows  of  petals ; 
the  outer  three  spreading,  and  the  inner  three 
erect,  forming  a  sort  of  cup.  April. 

This  is  a  low  tree  or  shrub,  forming  a  thick 
undergrowth  in  many  forests,  especially  through- 
out the  Mississippi  valley.  The  foliage  is  dense 
and  gives  to  the  plant  a  tropical  aspect.  It  is 
our  one  representative  of  a  family  which  includes 
many  tropical  species.  Rich,  moist,  woodland 
spots  and  banks  of  streams  are  the  localities 
which  it  prefers.  Its  northern  limit  is  Ontario 
and  western  New  York.  It  extends  west  to 
Michigan  and  S9uthward. 


MAY   APPLE.      MANDRAKE.      UMBRELLA 
LEAF.     WILD   LEMON 

Podophyllum  peltatum  Barberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  large  ovoid  or  lemon-shaped  yel- 
lowish berry  usually  grows  from  the  fork  of  two 


YELLOW  289 

leaves.  The  fruit  is  fleshy  and  incloses. numerous 
seeds,  each  of  which  is  surrounded  by  a  pulpy  aril. 
These  seeds  are  arranged  in  rows  along  a  large 
lateral  placenta.  The  fruit  is  sweet  and  edible. 
It  retains  the  thickened  stigma  at  the  apex. 
July. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  five-  to  nine-lobed. 
The  lobes  are  two-cleft  and  pointed  at  the  apex. 
The  flowerless  stalks  bear  single  leaves  with 
the  stems  terminating  near  the  center,  giving 
the  leaves  a  truly  umbrella-like  appearance.  The 
leaves  of  the  flowering  stalks  are  in  pairs,  and 
their  stems  join  the  leaves  nearer  their  inner 
edges.  The  upper  surface  is  darker  than  the 
lower. 

Flowers. — The  large,  white,  drooping  blossom, 
with  its  six  to  nine  petals,  is  borne  on  a  stout 
peduncle  in  the  fork  of  the  leaves.  It  is 
cross  fertilized  by  bees,  that  visit  the  flowers 
for  their  pollen.  They  bear  no  nectar.  April, 
May. 

The  leaves  and  the  horizontal  creeping  root- 
stocks  are  poisonous  if  eaten,  but  possess  certain 
medicinal  properties.  The  plant  spreads  by 
means  of  its  creeping  rhizome  and  forms  large 
patches.  The  umbrella-like  leaf  fulfills  the  mis- 


i2l)0  I10W  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

sion  suggested  by  its  name  for  the  pollen  of  the 
flower  which  it  covers.  The  shape  of  the  flower 
itself  is  evidently  protective  in  a  similar  way. 
The  manner  in  which  the  leaf  forces  its  way 
through  the  ground  is  interesting.  The  lobes 
of  the  underground  leaf  are  folded  close  to  the 
stem,  in  closed  umbrella  fashion.  At  the  point 
corresponding  to  the  tip  of  the  umbrella,  the  leaf 
cells  are  white  and  toughened,  forming  a  hard 
knob.  This,  as  the  stem  grows,  bores  its  way 
through  the  earth  to  the  surface.  Above  ground 
the  group  of  cells  softens,  but  remains  as  a  white 
spot  on  the  leaf.  It  grows  in  low  woods,  and  is 
more  prevalent  in  the  Middle  States  than  in 
New  England. 


DWARF   THORN 

Crataegus  uniflora.     Cratasgus  parvifolia  Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  yellowish  pome  is  globular  or 
pear-shaped.  It  is  usually  solitary  and  borne 
on  a  short  peduncle.  The  glandular,  deeply  cut 
calyx  lobes  are  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  thick  leaves  are  inversely  egg- 
shaped.  They  are  nearly  stemless,  and  the 


YELLOW  291 

upper  portion  of  the  margin  has  rounded  teeth. 
The  upper  surface  is  shining  and  the  lower  one 
hairy. 

Flowers.  —  The  white  flowers  grow  on  short 
stems,  usually  alone,  sometimes  in  pairs. 

This  low  downy  shrub  favors  sandy  soil,  and 
grows  from  southern  New  York  south  to  Florida, 
where  it  reaches  tree  stature.  It  extends  west 
to  West  Virginia  and  Louisiana.  Both  flower 
and  fruit  usually  occur  alone. 


DWARF   GINSENG.      GROUNDNUT 

Panax  trifolium.     Aralia  trifolia  Ginseng  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  are  yellow,  usually  three- 
angled,  but  sometimes  in  united  pairs.  They  are 
two-  to  three-seeded.  They  grow  in  a  simple 
umbel. 

Leaves.  —  The  three  compound  leaves  grow  in 
a  circle  about  the  stem.  There  are  three  to  five 
leaflets  in  each.  The  leaflets  are  sessile,  the  apex 
obtuse,  the  base  narrowed,  and  the  margin 
toothed. 

Flowers.  —  The  tiny  white  flowers  grow  in  a 
small,  fluffy,  terminal  cluster.  April,  May. 


292  now  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

This  is  quite  a  common  flower  of  our  rich 
woods.  It  is  seldom  more  than  eight  inches 
high.  Its  tuher  is  globular,  edible,  and  aro- 
matic, but  is  rather  difficult  to  procure,  being 
so  deep  in  the  ground.  Georgia  marks  the 
southern  limit. 


DEERBERRY.      SQUAW  HUCKLEBERRY 
Vaccinium  stamineum  Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  This  berry  is  globose  or  pear-shaped, 
rather  large,  and  greenish  or  yellowish.  It  is 
scarcely  edible,  falsely  ten-celled,  and  few-seeded. 
The  fruits  grow  in  leafy-bracted  racemes.  Sep- 
tember. 

Leaves.  —  The  oval  or  slightly  heart-shaped 
leaves  have  short,  downy  petioles.  They  are 
whitened  or  slightly  pubescent  beneath,  and  the 
margins  are  slightly  rolled  backwards. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  distinguished  by 
their  long  stamens,  which  project  far  beyond 
the  short  white  corollas.  The  flowers  grow  in 
graceful  clusters,  with  leaf  bracts  smaller  than 
the  regular  leaves. 

This  is  a  much-branched  shrub,  from  two  to 


YELLOW  293 

five   feet   high.     It   grows   in  dry  woods  from 

Maine   and    Minnesota   south  to    Florida    and 
Louisiana. 


PERSIMMON.      DATE   PLUM 

Diospyros  Virginiana  Ebony  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  is  plumlike  in  appearance, 
but  botanically  is  a  berry,  with  sometimes  as 
many  as  eight  large  flat  seeds.  When  green,  it 
is  very  astringent,  and  in  the  north  needs  the 
action  of  the  frost  to  make  it  sweet  and  deli- 
cious. It  then  changes  from  a  yellowish  color 
to  a  yellowish  brown.  The  style  is  at  the 
summit,  and  the  thick,  four-  to  six-lobed  calyx, 
at  the  base.  September,  November. 

Leaves.  —  The  thickish  leaves  are  dark  green 
above  and  paler  beneath.  They  are  nearly 
smooth,  ovate,  pointed  at  the  apex,  and  nar- 
rowed or  rounded  at  the  base. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  usually  dioecious. 
The  fertile  ones  are  solitary  and  grow  in  the 
axils,  while  the  smaller  sterile  ones  are  in  small 
clusters. 

This  tree  is  essentially  southern,  although  it 


294  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

occurs  occasionally  as  far  north  as  Rhode  Island 
and  New  York.  The  fruit  is  used  in  beers  and 
brandies.  The  wood  is  blackish  in  color  and 
is  well  adapted  for  use  in  carving.  Shoe  lasts 
are  made  from  it.  The  Duke  of  Argyle  is 
said  to  have  given  a  Persimmon  Tree  to  King 
George  III. 


LOW  HAIRY  GROUND  CHERRY 

Physalis   pubesceiis  Potato   Family 

Fruit.  —  This  yellowish  berry  does  not  fill  the 
small,  short,  membranous  calyx.  The  berry  is 
sticky.  The  solitary  fruits  grow  from  the  leaf 
axils. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  entire  or  somewhat 
wavy  and  angled.  They  are  rather  small,  from 
one  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length.  They 
are  pubescent  or  nearly  smooth  with  hairy  veins. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  yellow,  with  dark 
centers  and  purplish  anthers. 

This  is  an  annual  which  is  much-branched, 
and  has  pubescent  stems  and  leaves.  It  favors 
sandy  soil  from  New  York  to  Minnesota,  and 
south  to  Florida  and  Texas. 


295 


296  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

CUT-LEAVED  GROUND  CHERRY 

Physalis  angulata  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit-enveloping  calyx  is  ovoid 
and  has  a  sunken  base.  It  sometimes  shows 
purplish  veinings.  The  greenish  yellow  berry 
nearly  fills  it  when  mature.  The  fruit  is  pulpy 
and  many-seeded.  The  berries  are  solitary, 
hanging  on  slender  peduncles  from  the  axils 
of  the  leaves. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  ovate  and  often 
wedge-shaped  at  the  base.  Many  are  cut  into 
sharp,  narrow  lobes.  The  leaves  are  long,  thin, 
and  smooth. 

Flowers.  —  The  greenish  yellow  flowers  are 
small  and  unspotted.  The  anthers  are  some- 
what tinged  with  purple.  July-September. 

This  smooth  annual  is  erect,  sometimes  three 
feet  tall,  and  much-branched.  Gray  defines  its 
range  'from  Pennsylvania  to  Minnesota,  and 
southward. 


YELLOW  297 


CLAMMY  GROUND    CHERRY 

Physalis  heterophylla  Physalis  Virginiana 

Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  yellow  berry  is  loosely  inclosed 
in  the  membranous  calyx,  which  is  much  sunken 
at  the  stem.  The  fruit  stem  and  calyx  are 
pubescent.  The  solitary  fruits  hang  along  the 
branches  from  the  leaf  axils. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  broad,  thick,  and 
somewhat  heart-shaped.  They  and  the  petioles 
are  hairy.  The  apex  is  generally  acute  and  the 
margin  wavy,  often  having  irregular,  tooth -like 
lobes. 

Flowers.  —  The  yellow,  five-lobed  flowers 
have  brown  centers  and  yellow  anthers. 

This  is  the  most  common  species  and  is  very 
variable.  It  is  a  viscid,  hairy,  much-branched, 
spreading  perennial.  It  extends  from  Ontario 
and  Minnesota  to  Texas  and  Florida. 

Var.  ambigua  is  coarser,  and  coarsely  covered 
with  long  soft  hairs.  The  anthers  are  violet. 


298  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FBUITS 

HORSE  NETTLE 

Solanum  Carolinense  Potato  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  smooth  globular  berries  are 
orange-yellow  and  nearly  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  through.  They  grow  in  small,  usually 
lateral  clusters,  on  prickly  stems.  The  calyx 
lobes  are  at  the  base  of  each  berry.  They  are 
many-seeded. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  oblong  leaves  have 
wavy  margins  or  are  lobed  with  acute  or  obtuse 
lobes.  The  veins  of  the  leaves  are  often 
prickly. 

Flowers.  —  The  violet  flowers  grow  in  ter- 
minal racemes,  which  become  lateral  in  fruit. 

This  perennial  of  sandy  waste  places  is  hairy 
and  has  branches,  stems,  and  parts  of  leaves 
thickly  set  with  yellowish  prickles.  It  extends 
from  Connecticut  west  to  Iowa  and  south. 


GREEN 


GREEN 


GREEN   ARROW-ARUM 

Peltandra  Virgiiiica  Peltandra  undulata 

Arum  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  berries  grow  in  a  head  similar 
to  the  fruits  of  Indian  Turnip  and  Dragon  Root. 
The  Green  Arrow-arum  berries,  however,  are 
green  and  nearly  inclosed  in  the  lower  portion 
of  the  sheathing  spathe.  The  upper  part  of 
the  spathe  breaks  off  before  fruit  develops. 
The  one  to  three  large  seeds  are  inclosed  in 
a  colorless,  jelly-like  mass.  The  fruit-bearing 
stem  is  recurved,  and  the  fruit  bends  to  the 
water. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  shaped  like  long 
arrow  heads.  One  prominent  vein  extends  from 
base  toward  tip  and  one  from  base  into  each 
basal  lobe. 

Flowers.  —  The  tapering  spadix  is  covered 
with  flowers  throughout  its  length.  It  bears 
both  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers,  the  latter 

301 


302  HOW  TO   KNOW    WILD  FRUITS 

at  its  base.  The  spathe  incloses  the  entire 
length  of  the  spadix,  with  the  exception  of  an 
oval  opening  in  front,  about  midway  of  its 
length. 

Clusters  of  Green  Arrow-arum  grow  in  shal- 
low water  along  river  borders.  It  is  about  a 
foot  and  a  half  high.  The  sheathed  fruit  looks 
much  like  a  pond  lily  bud  and  bends  on  its 
recurved  stem  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  It  is 
quite  possible  that  the  fruit  heads  are  broken  by 
the  force  of  the  water  and  carried  down  stream 
to  originate  new  colonies.  Lack  of  bright 
coloring  in  the  fruit  is  suggestive  of  some  means 
of  seed  dispersal  other  than  by  agency  of  birds. 
The  plant  extends  west  to  Michigan  and  Loui- 
siana. 

CHOKEPEAR 
Pyrus  communis  Apple  Family 

The  Ghokepear  Tree,  with  its  green,  puckery 
pear,  hardly  needs  description.  I  trust  many 
another  like  myself  holds  it  in  grateful  remem- 
brance for  the  childhood  joys  it  has  furnished. 
What  an  addition  the  fruit  was,  on  chestnutting 
expeditions,  to  the  ginger  cookies,  which  always 


GREEN  303 


started  out  in  the  pail  with  us  never  to  return. 
If  you  have  never  eaten  it  cooked  as  a  sauce  and 
flavored  with  molasses,  you  have  yet  to  taste  a 
very  delectable  sirup. 


AMERICAN   CRAB    APPLE 

Mains  coronaria  Pyrus  coronaria 

Apple  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  apple  is  yellowish  green  and  flat- 
tened lengthwise.  The  small,  smooth  calyx  lobes 
are  in  the  deep,  broad  depression  at  the  summit. 
The  fruit  stem  is  slender.  One  or  two  dark 
brown  seeds  are  in  each  cell.  The  fruit  is 
fragrant  but  sour.  It  hangs  long  on  the  trees, 
and  does  not  usually  decay  until  the  following 
spring. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  ovate  or  triangular- 
ovate,  they  grow  on  short,  slender,  hard  petioles. 
The  margins  are  serrate.  Sometimes  the  leaf  is 
three-lobed.  It  is  yellow  in  autumn. 

Flowers.  —  The  flowers  are  much  like  those  of 
the  cultivated  apple,  but  very  fragrant  and  of  a 
beautiful  pink  color. 

This  tree  is  often  planted  near  homes,  because 


304  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

of  the  fragrance  and  beauty  of  the  blossoms. 
The  fruit  is  sometimes  used  for  cider.  The  tree 
is  not  very  high,  spreading,  and  often  thorny. 
This  is  particularly  a  northern  species. 

A  similar  tree,  Mains  angustifolia,  is  the 
southern  species,  although  the  two  overlap  in 
range.  Bailey  says  that  the  best  mark  of 
distinction  between  the  two  "  is  the  thick,  half- 
evergreen  shining  leaves  of  Mains  angustifolia." 
The  flowers  are  smaller  than  in  preceding 
species. 


WHITE 


WHITE 


BAYBERRY.     WAXBERRY 

Myrica  Carolinensis  Myrica  cerifera 

Bayberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fertile  aments  develop  into  clus- 
ters of  dry  drupes,  with  from  four  to  nine  sepa- 
rate fruits  in  the  cluster.  These  clusters  are 
fastened  .to  the  branches  by  short  stalks.  Each 
drupe  is  covered  with  many  tiny  grains,  which 
finally  become  coated  with  white  wax.  The 
covering  is  first  green,  then  blackish,  and  finally 
white.  The  stone  is  hard.  The  fruits  persist 
for  two  or  three  years. 

Leaves.  —  The  obovate  or  oblanceolate  leaves 
are  nearly  stemless.  They  have  resinous  dots 
on  both  sides,  are  leathery,  shining,  bright  green, 
and  aromatic.  The  margin  is  slightly  toothed 
toward  the  apex,  otherwise  entire.  The  base 
is  narrowed  and  the  apex  obtuse,  sometimes 
acute,  or  often  ends  abruptly  in  a  sharp  point. 

307 


308  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Flowers.  —  The  fertile  catkins  are  small  and 
erect,  and  consist  of  several  ovaries,  which  are 
sheltered  by  scales.  April-June. 

The  fruits  in  the  earlier  days  of  our  country's 
history  -  were  much  prized  for  the  wax  which 
they  yield.  This  is  obtained  by  boiling  the 
drupes  and  skimming  the  wax  from  the  surface 
of  the  water.  It  was  used  for  making  candles, 
either  alone  or  mixed  with  tallow  or  beeswax. 
The  Bayberry  candles  emit  a  pleasant  odor,  but 
their  light  is  not  so  bright  as  the  flame  of  the 
tallow  candles.  The  Bayberry  will  grow  in 
almost  any  soil.  It  extends  along  the  eastern 
coast,  and  occurs  somewhat  near  the  Great 
Lakes. 


WHITE   MULBERRY 
Moms  alba  Mulberry  Family 

Fry.it.  —  The  structure  of  the  fruit  is  the 
same  as  that  of  the  Red  Mulberry.  The  fruit  of 
Morus  alba,  however,  is  white,  shorter,  and  not 
as  juicy.  July. 

Leaves.  —  The  shining  dark  green  leaves  are 
variable  in  shape,  serrate,  and  shining. 


WHITE  309 

The  White  Mulberry  Tree  grows  rapidly, 
reaching  a  height  of  thirty  or  forty  feet.  It 
is  a  native  of  China,  and  its  leaves  are  ex- 
tensively used  as  food  for  silkworms.  The  tree 
was  introduced  into  America  when  silkworm 
raising  was  being  tried  in  this  country,  and 
occurs  now  spontaneously  near  houses,  especially 
in  the  vicinity  of  long-established  silk  manu- 
facturing plants. 

SMALL   MISTLETOE 

Razoumofskya  pusilla  Arceuthobium  pusillum 

Mistletoe  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  ovoid-oblong  berries  are  solitary 
and  grow  on  short  recurved  stems.  They  are 
fleshy,  with  seeds  inclosed  in  a  sticky  mucus. 
They  develop  in  the  autumn,  a  year  or  more 
after  flowering. 

This  is  an  inconspicuous  parasite,  drawing- its 
nourishment  from  branches  of  the  fir.  It  is 
olive  green  to  brown  in  color,  and  the  leaves 
are  obtuse  and  scale-like. 


310  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

AMERICAN   MISTLETOE 
Phoradendron  flavescens  Mistletoe  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  white  berries  are  globose,  pulpy, 
and  one-seeded.  They  grow  in  clusters  on  a 
short  foot  stalk. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  thick,  leathery,  yel- 
lowish green,  oval  or  obovate,  entire,  obtuse  at 
apex  and  narrowed  into  a  short  petiole  at  the 
base.  They  are  persistent  throughout  the  season. 

Flowers.  —  The  dioecious  flowers  grow  in  cat- 
kinlike  spikes.  May— July. 

This  parasite  flourishes  on  deciduous  trees, 
notably  the  Red  Maple  and  Tupelo.  Its  wood 
is  yellowish  green,  and  the  thick,  firm  leaves  and 
white  berries  persist  during  the  winter.  The 
Mistletoe  has  a  place  in  Christmas  decorations, 
and  may  often  be  seen  at  that  time  exposed  for 
sale.  Phoradendron  means  tree-thief,  referring 
to  its  -parasitic  life.  While  essentially  southern, 
it  occurs  in  southern  New  Jersey,  Pennsylvania, 
Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois* 


WHITE  BANEBERRY  (Actsea  alba) 


312 


WHITE  313 

WHITE    BANEBERRY 
Actaea  alba  Crowfoot  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  terminal  fruit  clusters  of  the 
White  Baneberry  are  oblong  and  usually  more 
open  than  those  of  the  Red.  The  white  berries 
are  almost  globular,  have  a  black  mark  at  the 
tip  and  a  crease  on  one  side,  extending  from  the 
apex  to  the  pedicel.  The  pedicel  is  thickened 
and  usually  red.  The  lower  pedicels  are  much 
longer  than  the  upper  ones.  The  numerous 
large  brown  seeds  are  packed  horizontally.  A 
plant  with  red  berries  on  thickened  red  stalks 
sometimes  occurs.  The  fruit  develops  in  August, 
about  a  month  later  than  the  Red  Baneberry, 
and  persists  into  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  leaves  are  twice  or  thrice  com-  ' 
pound,  with  deeply  cut,  acute  lobes  and  sharp 
teeth. 

Flowers.  —  The  petals  are  so  like  stamens  as 
to  seem  to  be  transformed  stamens.  The  flowers 
yield  no  honey,  simply  pollen,  to  the  bees,  which 
secure  their  cross  fertilization. 

This  herb  grows  in  woods  as  far  south  as 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 


314  HOW  TO  KNOW    WILD   FRUITS 

POISON   SUMAC 

Rhus  Vernix.     Rhus  venenata  Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  smooth,  somewhat  glossy  drupe 
is  grayish.  It  is  dry  and  slightly  pear-shaped, 
with  the  sides  unequal.  It  grows  in  open 
loose  clusters  from  the  leaf  axils.  It  closely 
resembles  the  fruit  of  the  Poison  Ivy.  August, 
September. 

Leaves.  —  The  stalks  of  the  compound  leaves 
are  usually  purplish.  There  are  from  three  to 
thirteen  nearly  stemless  leaflets,  which  are  un- 
equal at  the  base.  They  are  a  bright  shining 
green,  acute  at  the  apex,  entire,  and  obovate 
or  oval.  The  autumnal  colorings  are  most 
brilliant. 

Flowers.  —  The  small,  greenish  yellow,  dioe- 
cious flowers  grow  in  open  loose  panicles  from 
the  leaf  axils. 

It  is-  not  strange  that  many  an  unfortunate, 
hoping  to  prolong  his  enjoyment  of  the  brilliant 
foliage,  should  be  lured  into  gathering  its 
autumnal  leaves  for  home  decorations.  Im- 
mune, he  may  be,  it  is  true,  but  doubtless  a  long 
period  of  suffering  will  follow  his  rash  act. 


WHITE  315 

Some  persons  are  poisoned  by  even  passing  near 
the  plant,  contact  not  being  necessary. 

If  in  fruit,  the  whitish  color  of  the  drupes  and 
their  drooping  clusters  are  sure  marks  by  which 
this  Sumac  may  be  distinguished  from  the  other 
species.  The  entire  leaves  and  lack  of  winged 
petioles  and  pubescence  are  also  marks  of  dis- 
tinction. 


POISON,   CLIMBING,   OR    THREE-LEAVED 
IVY 

Rhus  radicans  Rhus  Toxicodendroii 

Sumac  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  fruit  closely  resembles  that  of 
Poison  Sumac.  September  and  persistent. 

Leaves.  —  The  compound  leaves  have  three 
pale  green  leaflets,  which  are  sharply  toothed 
and  entire  or  sometimes  lobed. 

This  plant  is  sometimes  erect  and  one  to  three 
feet  high,  sometimes  prostrate  and  trailing,  and 
sometimes  climbing.  It  supports  itself  by  nu- 
merous rootlets,  which  penetrate  and  hold  tena- 
ciously to  various  supports.  Its  three-parted 
leaves  and  white  fruit  distinguish  this  poisonous 


POISON  IVY  (Rhus  radicans) 
316 


WHITE  317 

plant  from  the  harmless  Virginia  Creeper,  Par- 
thenocissus  quinquefolia,  which  is  somewhat  simi- 
lar in  its  manner  of  growth.  The  dryish  fruits 
are  used  as  food  by  the  winter  birds.  For  crows 
especially  they  serve  as  an  important  article  of 
diet.  One  hundred  and  fifty-three  Poison  Ivy 
seeds  are  said  to  have  been  found  in  the  stomach 
of  one  of  these  birds.  The  dry  outer  husks  are 
removed  by  action  of  stomach  and  thrown  out 
again  in  small  masses  through  the  mouth. 


RED-OSIER   CORNEL   OR   DOGWOOD 
Cornus  stolonifera  Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  drupe  is  white,  or  whitish,  and 
globose.  The  stone  is  very  variable  in  shape. 
The  fruits  grow  in  flat-topped,  rather  smallish 
cymes. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate  or  ovate-lanceolate  leaf 
has  an  abrupt,  short,  tapering  apex  and  a  rounded 
base.  The  upper  surface  is  finely  pubescent  and 
the  lower  whitish  and  somewhat  downy. 

Flowers.  —  The  smallish  flat  cymes  are  rather 
few-flowered.  June,  July. 

Reddish  branches  are  a  characteristic  feature 


318  HOW  TO  KNOW  WILD  FRUITS 

of  this  dogwood.  They  are  especially  brilliant 
in  late  winter  and  early  spring.  The  main  stem 
is  usually  prostrate,  often  unnoticed  because  of  a 
covering  of  leaves.  This  sends  down  rootlets 
and  sends  up  slender  branches,  soon  forming 
broad  clumps.  The  main  shoot  is  sometimes 
underground. 

The  range  of  the  shrub  is  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
extending  south  to  Virginia,  Kentucky,  Nebraska, 
Arizona,  and  California.  A  similar  species  occurs 
in  Siberia. 

PANICLED    CORNEL 

Cornus  candidissima  Cornus  paniculata 

Dogwood  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  small,  white,  flattened,  globose 
drupes  grow  in  convex  clusters.  The  peduncle 
and  pedicels  are  red.  The  plant  often  fruits 
sparingly,  and  the  clusters  are  consequently 
ragged  ,and  irregular.  Each  fruit  is  crowned 
with  minute  calyx  teeth,  through  which  the 
style  protrudes.  The  flesh  is  thin  and  white, 
inclosing  a  two-celled,  two-seeded  stone.  Au- 
gust, September.  This  is  one  of  the  earliest 
fruited  Dogwoods. 


PANICLED  CORNEL  (Cornus  candidissima) 
319 


320  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD  FRUITS 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate-lanceolate  leaves  are 
opposite  and  entire.  The  petioles  are  short,  the 
tip  pointed,  and  the  base  acute.  The  under 
surface  is  whitish  but  smooth. 

Flowers.  —  The  perfect  white  blossoms  grow 
in  loosely  flowered  cymes.  May,  June. 

Cornus  candidissima  is  distinguished  from  our 
other  white-fruited  Dogwood,  Cornus  stolonifera, 
by  its  gray  branches  and  its  imperfectly  convex 
flower  and  fruit  cluster.  It  is  a  much-branched 
shrub,  growing  in  thickets  and  along  streams. 
It  extends  south  to  North  Carolina  and  west  to 
Minnesota. 

CREEPING   SNOWBERRY 

Chiogenes  hispidula  Chiogenes  serpyllifolia 

Huckleberry  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  shining,  white,  globose  or  oval 
berry  is  solitary  in  the  leaf  axil.  The  calyx 
teeth  are  present  near  the  apex,  and  the  berry 
is  often  bristly.  It  is  small,  four-celled,  many- 
seeded,  mealy,  and  aromatic,  having  much  the 
flavor  of  Sweet  Birch.  August,  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  evergreen  leaves  are  a  dark 
olive  green,  with  stiff  brownish  bristles  on  the 


SNOWBERRY  (Sijmphoricarpos  racemosus) 
322 


WHITE  323 

under  surface.  They  are  small,  on  short  stems, 
and  have  backward  rolled  margins. 

flowers.  —  The  tiny  white  nodding  flowers 
are  single,  growing  on  short  stems  from  the  leaf 
axil.  Two  bracts  are  beneath  the  calyx.  May. 

The  stems  of  this  creeping  and  trailing  shrub 
are  scarcely  woody,  slender,  and  bristly.  It  is  a 
native  of  Japan,  and  in  our  country  extends  from 
Newfoundland  to  British  Columbia  and  south  to 
Michigan,  New  Jersey,  and  Pennsylvania,  con- 
tinuing along  the  Alleghanies  to  North  Carolina. 
Chiogenes  means  "  snow  offering,"  referring 
most  appropriately  to  the  snow-white  fruit. 


SNOWBERRY 

Symphoricarpos  racemosus  Honeysuckle  Family 

Fruit.  —  The  terminal  fruit  spike  usually  has 
a  pair  of  leaves  at  its  base.  Solitary  berries 
sometimes  grow  from  the  axils  of  the  next 
lower  pair  of  leaves.  The  ripe  berries  are  quite 
large,  waxy,  and  white.  The  persistent  calyx 
teeth  are  at  the  top  and  two  tiny  bracts  are  at 
the  base.  The  berries  are  nearly  stemless. 
They  have  two  large  cells,  each  containing  ?. 


324  HOW  TO  KNOW   WILD   FRUITS 

seed ;  and  two  smaller  empty  cells.  The  seed 
coats  are  hard.  The  berries  begin  to  ripen  in 
July,  and  the  spikes  show  fruit  in  various  stages 
of  development,  with  buds  and  flowers  at  the 
summit  well  into  September. 

Leaves.  —  The  ovate,  usually  entire  leaves 
grow  in  pairs.  The  stems  are  quite  short. 
The  leaves  are  dark  green  above  and  lighter 
beneath. 

Flowers.  —  The  small  bell-shaped  pink  blos- 
som is  four-  or  five-toothed.  It  is  hairy  at  the 
throat. 

This  is  a  common  inhabitant  of  old-fashioned 
gardens,  and  lingers  about  abandoned  farm- 
houses or  even  the  cellars.  It  strays  beyond 
the  garden  bounds  and  often  occurs  along  the 
roadsides.  It  grows  also  along  rocky  banks  in 
New  England  to  Pennsylvania  and  westward. 
It  is  most  attractive  in  September,  when  the 
spike  is  nearly  full  of  matured  fruits. 

Symphoricarpos  pauciflorus  appears  in  the 
mountains  of  Vermont  and  Pennsylvania  and 
westward.  The  leaves  are  smaller  than  the 
preceding,  and  the  berries  grow  singly  or  in  pairs 
in  the  uppermost  leaf  axils. 


GLOSSARY 


Achene.  A  small,  dry,  indehiscent,  one-seeded  fruit  with  usu- 
ally a  thin  pericarp. 

Acute.     Sharp-pointed. 

Alternate.     As  opposed  to  opposite. 

Ament.  Synonymous  with  catkin.  A  spike  consisting  of  im- 
perfect flowers  with  a  scale-like  bract  at  the  base  of  each. 

Annual.     Of  but  one  season's  growth. 

Anther.     The  part  of  the  stamen  which  yields  the  pollen. 

Aril.  A  fleshy  seed  covering  growing  from  the  cord  which 
attaches  the  seed  to  the  seed  vessel. 

Axil.     The  angle  which  the  stem  forms  with  a  leaf  or  branch. 

Bloom.     A  secretion  of  wax  covering  the  surface  of  leaf  or  fruit. 
Bract.     A  modified  leaf  at  the  base  of  flower  or  fruit. 
Bristle.     A  stiff,  hairlike  growth. 

Calyx.     The  outer  and  protective  floral  whorl. 

Capsule.     A  dry,  dehiscent  fruit  of  two  or  more  carpels. 

Carpel.  This  is  the  seed-bearing  part  of  the  flower.  It  may  be 
a  simple  pistil  or  one  of  the  parts  of  a  compound  pistil. 

Catkin.     Same  as  ament. 

Cell.     A  structure  inclosing  a  cavity. 

Ciliate.     With  hairy  margin. 

Compound.     A  whole  made  up  of  two  or  more  similar  parts. 

Connate.  The  joining  of  similar  organs.  Opposite  leaves  whose 
bases  join. 

Conn.     Like  a  solid  bulb. 

Corolla.     The  inner  floral  whorl. 

Corymb.  A  flat-topped  or  rounded  flower  cluster  with  the  mar- 
ginal flowers  opening  first. 

325 


326  GLOSSARY 

Cotyledon.     A  seed  leaf  or  leaves. 

Cross  Fertilization.     The  action  resulting  from  the  deposit  of 

the  pollen  of  one  flower  on  the  stigma  of  another. 
Cyme.     A  flattish  flower  cluster  with  the  blossoms  unfolding 

from  the  center  outwards. 

Deciduous.     Not  persistent. 

Dicotyledonous.     With  two  cotyledons. 

Dioecious.     Staminate  and  pistillate  flowers  borne  on  different 

plants  of  the  same  species. 
Disk.     A  thickened  circle  of  cellular  tissue  about  the  base  of 

the  stamens  and  around  the  ovary. 

Fertile.    Productive. 

Gland.     A  secreting  surface  or  structure. 
Glaucous.     Covered  with  a  bloom. 

Herb.     With  the  above-ground  stems  living  but  one  season. 

Involucre.     Bracts  surrounding  a  single  flower  or  a  flower  clus- 
ter or  head. 

Lanceolate.     Much  longer  than  broad.     The  widest  portion  is 
below  the  middle,  and  the  leaf  tapers  towards  either  end. 

Monocotyledonous.     With  but  one  cotyledon. 
Monoecious.     Separate  staminate  and  pistillate  flowers  on  the 
same  plant. 

Node.     The  joints  on  the  stem  where  a  leaf  or  whorl  of  leaves 
would  naturally  grow. 

Oblanceolate.     The  broadest  portion  of  the  long  leaf  nearest  the 

apex  and  tapering  to  either  end. 

Oblong.     Longer  than  broad,  and  with  sides  nearly  parallel. 
Obovate.     Egg-shaped,  with  broader  portion  nearest  apex. 


GLOSSARY  827 

Obtuse.     With  a  rounded  or  blunt  end. 
Ovary.     The  part  of  the  pistil  containing  the  ovules. 
Ovule.     The  body  which,  when  fertilized,  is  meant  to  become  a 
seed. 

Panicle.     A  loose,  irregular  cluster  with  branching  flower  sterns. 

Parasitic.     Gaining  nourishment  from  a  host  plant. 

Pedicel.     The  stem  of  one  of  the  component  flowers  or  fruits  of 

a  cluster. 

Peduncle.     A  stem  of  a  single  flower  or  of  a  flower  cluster. 
Perennial.     Continuing  year  after  year. 
Perfect  (flower).     Having  both  stamens  and  pistils. 
Perianth.     The  floral  envelope  consisting  of  calyx  and  corolla  if 

both  are  present. 
Petal.     One  unit  of  the  corolla. 
Petiole.     The  leaf  stalk. 
Pinnate.     With  the  leaflets  of  a  compound  leaf  on  either  side  of 

the  leaf  stalk. 
Placenta.     The   interior  portion   of   the   ovary  on  which    the 

ovules  are  borne. 

Pollen.     The  anther-borne  grains  which  fertilize  the  ovules. 
Polygamous.     Plants  bearing  staminate,  pistillate,  and  perfect 

flowers  on  the  same  plant. 

Prickles.     A  slender,  sharp  growth  from  bark  or  rind. 
Pubescent.     Finely  hairy. 

Raceme.     Spike  bearing  stemmed  flowers. 

Receptacle.  The  modified  portion  of  an  axis  upon  which  the 
flowers  or  portion  of  a  flower  is  borne. 

Rhizome.     An  underground  stem. 

Root.  The  underground  part  of  the  plant  which  obtains  nour- 
ishment there. 

Scape.     A  naked  flower  stem  springing  from  the  ground. 
Seed.     The  ripened  ovule. 
Sepal.     One  unit  of  the  calyx. 
Serrate.     With  forward-pointing  teeth. 


328  GLOSSARY 

Sessile.     Stemless. 

Shrub.     Plants  with  woody  structure  and  with  several  stems 

springing  from  the  ground  or  near  it,  or  whose  stems  are 

much-branched.     Usually  smaller  than  trees. 
Sinus.     The  margin  between  the  lobes. 
Spadix.     A  spike  having  a  fleshy  axis. 

Spathe,     One  or  more  large  bracts  inclosing  an  inflorescence. 
Spike.     Sessile  or  nearly  sessile  flowers  borne  on  a  somewhat 

elongated  axis. 

Spine.     A  sharp  growth  from  the  stern. 
Sterile.     Unproductive. 

Stigma.     The  portion  of  the  pistil  receptive  to  the  pollen  grain. 
Stipule.     An  appendage  at  the  base  of  a  leaf  stem,  sometimes 

joined  to  the  petiole. 
Style.     The  portion  of  the  pistil  connecting  the  stigma  and 

ovary. 

Tendril.     A  slender,  coiling  part  of  a  climbing  plant,  aiding  in 
its  support. 

Umbel.     A  flower  cluster  in  which  the  pedicels  spring  from  a 
common  point. 

Whorl,     A  circular  arrangement  of  leaves,  etc.,  around  a  stern. 


ABBREVIATIONS    OF  AUTHORS'    NAMES 


Ait.,  Aiton. 

Andr.,  Andrews. 

C.  &  S.,  Chamisso  and  Schlech- 

tendahl. 

DC.,  De  Candolle. 
Desf.,  Desfontaine. 
Desv.,  Desvaux. 
Dietr.,  Dietrich. 
Ehrh.,  Ehrhart. 
Ell,  Elliott. 
Hook.,  Hooker. 
Jacq.,  Jacquin. 
Karst.,  Karsten. 
L.,  Linnaeus. 
Lam.,  Lamarck. 
L.  f.,  Linne  (the  son). 
L'Her.,  L'Heritier  de  Brutelle. 
Lodd.,  Loddiges. 
MacM.,  MacMillan. 
Marsh.,  Marshall. 


Medic.,  Medicus. 

Michx.,  Michaux. 

Mill.,  Miller. 

Muench.,  Muenchhausen. 

Muhl.,  Miihlenberg. 

Nutt.,  Nuttall. 

Pers.,  Persoon. 

Planch.,  Planchon. 

Poir.,  Poiret. 

R.  &  S.,  Roemer  and  Schultes. 

Roem.,  Roemer. 

Salisb.,  Salisbury. 

Spreng.,  Sprengel. 

Sudw.,  Sudworth. 

Torr.,  Torrey. 

T.  &  G.,  Torrey  &  Gray. 

Vent.,  Ventenat. 

Walt.,  Walter. 

Wang.,  Wangenheim. 

Willd.,  Willdenow. 


329 


INDEX   TO   ENGLISH   NAMES 


Alder,  Black,  97. 
Allspice,  Wild,  38. 
Angelica  Tree,  218. 
Apple,  American  Crab,  303. 
Arrowwood,  279. 

Downy-leaved,  239. 

Maple-leaved,  237. 

Soft-leaved,  282. 
Arum,  Green  Arrow,  301. 

Water,  9. 
Ash,  American  Mountain,  64. 

European  Mountain,  66. 
Asparagus,  10. 

Baked-apple  Berry,  47. 
Baneberry,  Red,  33. 

White,  313. 

Barberry,  Common,  34. 
Bayberry,  307. 
Bearberry,  Alpine,  228. 

Black,  228. 

Red,  116. 

Benjamin  Bush,  38. 
Bilberry,  Great,  271. 

Dwarf,  272. 
Birthroot,  21. 
Bittersweet,  125. 

Climbing,  103. 

Shrubby,  103. 
Blackberry,  184. 

Common,  189. 

High-bush,  189. 

Leafy  Cluster,  192. 


Low  Running,  185. 

Mountain,  192. 

Running  Swamp,  187. 

Sand,  188. 

Thornless,  193. 
Black  Haw,  246. 
Blackthorn.  196. 
Blueberry,  Canadian,  278. 

Dwarf,  277. 

High-bush,  272. 

Low,  278. 

Low  Black,  231. 

Tall,  272. 
Blue  Tangle,  269. 
Boxberry,  114. 
Buckthorn,  205. 

Alder-leaved,  207. 

Lance-leaved,  207. 
Buffalo  Berry,  Canadian,  106. 
Bunchberry,  108. 
Burning  Bush,  101. 

Carrion  Flower,  163. 
Catbrier,  168. 
Cedar,  Red,  252. 

Shrubby  Red,  254. 
Checkerberry,  114. 
Cherry,  Bird,  83. 

Choke,  86. 

Dwarf,  197. 

May,  71. 

Pigeon,  83. 

Pin,  83. 
331 


332 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Cherry,  Rum,  198. 

Sand,  197. 

Wild  Black,  198. 

Wild  Red,  83. 
Chokeberry,  Black,  193. 

Red,  66. 
Chokepear,  302. 
Clintonia,  Yellow,  257. 

White,  155. 
Cloudberry,  47. 
Coffee,  Wild,  141. 
Cohosh,  Blue,  257. 
Coral  Berry,  142. 
Cornel,  Alternate-leaved,  266. 

Dwarf,  108. 

Low,  108. 

Panicled,  318. 

Red-osier,  317. 

Round-leaved,  262. 

Silky,  263. 
Cowberry,  118. 
Cranberry,  American,  121. 

European,  119. 

Large,  121. 

Mountain,  118. 

Small,  119. 
Cranberry  Tree,  139. 

Few-flowered,  140. 
Crowberry,  Black,  202. 
Cucumber  Tree,  29. 
Currant,  Black,  180. 

Fetid,  44. 

Indian,  142. 

Mountain,  44. 

Prostrate,  44. 

Red,  45. 

Dangleberry,  269. 
Deerberry,  292. 


Disporum,  Hairy,  16. 

Dockmackie,  237. 

Dogberry,  66. 

Dogwood,  Alternate-leaved,  266 

Flowering,  110. 

Red-osier,  o!7. 

Round-leaved,  262. 
Dragon  Root,  8. 

Eglantine,  62. 

Elder,  American,  236. 

Red-berried,  133. 

Sweet,  236. 

Wild,  224. 

Fever  Bush,  38. 
Feverwort,  141. 
Foxberry,  118. 
Fringe  Tree,  232. 

Garget,  176. 
Ginseng,  107. 

Dwarf,  291. 

Horse,  141. 
Golden  Seal,  SO. 

Gooseberry,       Eastern       Wild, 
42. 

Hawthorn,  40. 

Northern,  40. 

Swamp,  43. 

Wild,  179. 
Grape,  Bear's,  118. 

Blue,  211. 

Chicken,  214. 

Frost,  214. 

Northern  Fox,  208. 

Riverside,  212. 

Summer,  210. 

Sweet-scented,  212. 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


333 


Greenbrier,  168. 

Bristly,  171. 

Glaucous-leaved,  167. 

Hispid,  169. 

Long-stalked,  170. 

Walter's,  25. 
Green  Dragon,  8. 
Ground  Cherry,  Clammy,  297. 

Cut-leaved,  296. 

Low  Hairy.  294. 

Philadelphia,  124. 
Groundnut,  291. 
Guelder  Rose,  139. 

Hackberry,  172. 
Hemlock,  Ground,  3. 
Hercules'  Club,  218. 
Hobble  Bush,  135. 
Holly,  American,  94. 

Large-leaved,  97. 

Mountain,  100. 

Wild,  100. 

Honeysuckle,     American     Fly, 
151. 

Blue  Fly,  282. 

Coral,  148. 

Glaucous,  145. 

Hairy,  145. 

Italian,  144. 

Mountain  Fly,  282. 

Perfoliate,  144. 

Smooth-leaved,  145. 

Swamp  Fly,  150. 

Trumpet,  148. 
Horsebrier,  168. 
Horse  Nettle,  298. 
Huckleberry,  Black,  229. 

Box,  270. 

Bush,  230. 


Dwarf,  230. 
,  High-bush,  229. 
Squaw,  292. 

Indian  Cucumber  Root,  161. 
Indian  Root,  219. 
Indian  Turnip,  5. 
Inkberry,  203. 
Ipecac,  Wild,  141. 

Wood,  141. 
Ivy,  American,  217. 

Climbing,  315. 

Poison,  315. 

Three-leaved,  315. 

Jack-in-the-Pulpit,  5. 
Juneberry,  71. 

Oblong-fruited,  195. 
Juniper,  Common,  249. 

Kinnikinnic,  118,  263. 

Leatherwood,  105. 
Lemon,  Wild,  288. 
Lily-of-the- Valley,  False,  14. 

Magnolia,  Laurel,  26. 

Mountain,  29 
Mandrake,  288. 
Matrimony  Vine,  129. 
May  Apple,  288. 
Mealberry,  118. 
Mistletoe,  American,  310. 

Small,  309. 

Moonseed,  Canada,  178. 
Moose  wood,  105. 
Mulberry,  Red,  173. 

White,  308. 
Myrtle,  Barren,  118. 


334 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES 


Nanny  Berry,  244. 
Nightshade,  125. 

Black,  234. 

Garden,  234. 

Orange  Root,  30. 

Papaw,  North  American,  287. 
Papoose  Root,  257. 
Partridge  Berry,  129. 
Pepperidge,  226. 
Persimmon,  293. 
Pigeon  Berry,  176. 
Plum,  Beach,  82. 

Bullace,  197. 

Canada,  81. 

Date,  293. 

Horse,  81. 

Porter's,  196. 

Red,  79. 

Yellow,  79. 
Poke,  176. 
Privet,  233. 

Raspberry,  Black,  183. 

Dwarf,  50. 

Mountain,  47. 

Purple-flowering,  45. 

Purple  Wild,  50. 

Wild  Red,  49. 
Rose,  55. 

Canker,*  61. 

Dog,  61. 

Low,  59. 

Meadow,  57. 

Northeastern,  61. 

Pasture,  69. 

Smooth,  57. 

Swamp,  58. 


Sarsaparilla,  Bristly,  224. 

False,  167. 

Virginian,  221. 

Wild,  221. 
Sassafras,  258. 
Scoke,  176. 
Service  Berry,  71. 
Shad  Bush,  72. 
Sheepberry,  244. 
Sloe,  196. 

Smilax,  Halberd-leaved,  167. 
Snowberry,  323. 

Creeping,  320. 
Solomon's  Seal,  Hairy,  157. 

Smooth,  159. 

Star-flowered,  156. 

Three-leaved,  13. 

Two-leaved,  14. 
Sour  Gum,  226. 
Spice  Bush,  38. 
Spikenard,  American,  219. 

Wild,  11. 
Spindle  Tree,  101. 
Stag  Bush,  246. 
Strawberry,  American  Wood,  55. 

European  Wood,  54. 

Northern  Wild,  54. 

Scarlet,  52. 

Virginia,  52. 
Strawberry,  Bush,  100. 

Running,  101. 
Stretch  Berry,  171. 
Sugarberry,  172. 
Sumac,  Dwarf,  88. 

Fragrant,  93. 
Poison,  314.  , 
Smooth,  92. 
Staghorn,  89. 
Sweet-scented,  93. 


INDEX   TO   ENGLISH  NAMES 


335 


Velvet,  89. 
Sweetbrier,  62. 

Tangleberry,  269. 
Teaberry,  114. 
Thimble  Berry,  183. 
Thorn,  Cockspur,  73. 

Dotted-fruited,  74. 

Dwarf,  290. 

Large-fruited,  74. 

Pear,  78. 

Scarlet,  75. 
Tinker's  Weed,  141. 
Tupelo,  226. 

Twisted  Stalk,  Clasping-leaved, 
16. 

Sessile-leaved,  18. 

Umbrella  Leaf,  288. 

Viburnum,  Maple-leaved,  237. 

Sweet,  244. 
Virginia  Creeper,  217. 


Wahoo,  101. 
Wake-Eobin,  Early,  19. 

Ill-scented,  21. 

Large-flowered,  20. 

Nodding,  23. 

Painted,  24. 

Sessile-flowered,  19. 
Waxberry,  307. 
Waxwork,  103. 
Wayfaring  Tree,  135. 
Winter  Berry,  Evergreen,  203. 

Smooth,  99. 

Virginia,  97. 
Wintergreen,  Creeping,  114. 

Spring,  114. 
Withe-rod,  240. 

Larger,  243. 
Woodbine,  217. 

American,  144. 

Yellow  Indian  Paint,  30. 
Yellow  Puccoon,  30. 
Yellow  Root,  30. 
Yew,  American,  3. 


INDEX  TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Actsea  alba,  313. 
Actsea  rubra,  33. 
Actsea  spicata,  Var.  rubra,  33. 
Amelanchier  Botryapium,  72. 
Amelanchier  Canadensis,  71. 
Amelanchier  oligocarpa,  195. 
Ampelopsis  quinquefolia,  217. 
Aralia  hispida,  224. 
Aralia  nudicaulis,  221. 
Aralia  quinquefolia,  107. 
Aralia  racemosa,  219. 
Aralia  spinosa,  218. 
Aralia  trifolia,  291. 
Arceuthobium  pusillum,  309. 
Arctostaphylos  alpina,  228. 
Arctostaphylos  Uva-Ursi,  11G. 
Arissema  dracontium,  8. 
Arissema  triphyllum,  5. 
Aronia  arbutifolia,  66. 
Aronia  nigra,  193. 
Asimina  triloba,  287. 
Asparagus  officinalis,  10. 

Benzoin  Benzoin,  38. 
Berberis  vulgaris,  34. 

Calla  palustris,  9. 
Caulophylluin  thalictroides,  257 
Celastrus  scandens,  103. 
Celtis  occidentalis,  172. 
Chiogenes  hispidula,  320. 


Chiogenes  serpyllifolia,  320. 
Chionanthus  Virginica,  232. 
Clintonia  borealis,  257. 
Clintonia  umbellulata,  155. 
Cornus  alternifolia,  266. 
Cornus  Amonum,  263. 
Cornus  Canadensis,  108. 
Cornus  candidissima,  318. 
Cornus  circinata,  262. 
Cornus  florida,  110. 
Cornus  paniculata,  318. 
Cornus  sericea,  263. 
Cornus  stolonifera,  317. 
Cratsegus  coccinea,  75. 
Cratsegus  Crus-Galli,  73. 
Cratsegus  macracantha,  77. 
Cratsegus  moll  is,  77. 
Cratsegus  parvjfolia,  290. 
Cratsegus  punctata,  74. 
Cratsegus  tomentosa,  78. 
Cratsegus  uniflora,  290. 

Diospysos  Virgin iana,  293. 
Dirca  palustris,  105. 
Disporum  lanuginosum,  16. 

Empetrum  nigrum,  202. 
Euonymus  Americanus,  100. 
Euonyrrms  atropurpureus,  101, 
Euonymus  obovatus,  101. 
337 


338 


INDEX   TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Fragaria  Americana,  55. 
Fragaria  Canadensis,  54. 
Fragaria  vesca,  54. 
Fragaria  Virginiana,  52. 

Gaultheria  procumbens,  114. 
Gaylussacia  brachycera,  270. 
Gaylussacia  dumosa,  230. 
Gaylussacia  frondosa,  269. 
Gaylussacia  resinosa,  229. 

Hydrastis  Canadensis,  30. 

Ilex  glabra,  203. 
Ilex  laevigata,  99. 
Ilex  monticola,  97. 
Ilex  opaca,  94. 
Ilex  verticillata,  97. 
Ilicioides  mucronata,  100. 

Juniperus  communis,  249. 
Juniperus    comniunis,    Var.    al- 

pina,  251. 

Juniperus  nana,  251. 
Juniperus  Sabina,  254. 
Juniperus  Virginiana,  252. 

Lepargyraea  Canadensis,  106. 
Ligustrum  vulgare,  233. 
Lindera  Benzoin,  38. 
Lonicera  Caprifolium,  144. 
Lonicera  ciliata,  151. 
Lonicera  coBrulea,  282. 
Lonicera  dioica,  145. 
Lonicera  glauca,  145. 
Lonicera  grata,  144. 
Lonicera  hirsuta,  145. 
Lonicera  oblongifolia,  150. 
Lonicera  serapervirens,  148. 
Lyciuna  vulgare,  129. 


Magnolia  acuminata,  29. 
Magnolia  glauca,  26. 
Magnolia  Virginiana,  26. 
Maianthemuin  Canadense,  14. 
Mairania  alpina,  228. 
Malus  angustifolia,  304. 
Malus  coronaria,  303. 
Medeola  Virginiana,  161. 
Menisperinum  Canadense,  178. 
Mitchella  repens,  129. 
Morus  alba,  308. 
Morus  rubra,  173. 
Myrica  Carolinensis,  307. 
Myrica  cerifera,  307. 

Nemopanthes  fascicularis,  100. 
Nyssa  sylvatica,  226. 

Oxy coccus  macrocarpus,  121. 
Oxycoccus  Oxy  coccus,  119. 

Panax  quinquefolium,  107. 
Panax  trifolium,  291. 
Parthenocissus  quinquefolia,  217. 
Peltandra  undulata,  301. 
Peltandra  Virginica,  301. 
Phoradendron  flavescens,  310. 
Physalis  angulata,  296. 
Physalis  heterophylla,  297. 
Physalis  heterophylla  ambigua, 

297. 

Physalis  Philadelphia,  124. 
Physalis  pubescens,  294. 
Physalis  Virginiana,  297. 
Phytolacca  decendra,  176. 
Podophyllum  peltatum,  288. 
Polygonatum  biflorum,  157. 
Polygonatum  commutatum,  159. 
Polygonatum  giganteum,  159. 


INDEX  TO   LATIN  NAMES 


339 


Prunus  Allegheniensis,  196. 

Primus  Americana,  79. 

Prunus  maritima,  82. 

Prunus  nigra,  81. 

Prunus  Pennsylvanica,  83. 

Prunus  pumila,  197. 

Prunus  serotina,  198. 

Prunus  spinosa,  196. 

Prunus  spinosa  insititia,  197. 

Prunus  Virginiana,  86. 

Pyrus  Americana,  64. 

Pyrus  arbutifolia,  66. 

Pyrus  arbutifolia,  Var.  melano- 

carpa,  193. 

Pyrus  com  munis,  302. 
Pyrus  coronaria,  303. 
Pyrus  sambucifolia,  66. 

Razoumofskya  pusilla,  309. 
Rhamnus  alnifolia,  207. 
Rhamnus  cathartica,  205. 
Rhamnus  lanceolata,  207. 
Rhus  aromatica,  93. 
Rhus  Canadensis,  93. 
Rhus  copallina,  88. 
Rhus  glabra,  92. 
Rhus  hirta,  89. 
Rhus  radicans,  315. 
Rhus  Toxicodendron,  315. 
Rhus  typhina,  86. 
Rhus  venenata,  314. 
Rhus  Vernix,  314. 
Ribes  Cynosbati,  179. 
Ribes  floridum,  180. 
Ribes  lacustre,  43. 
Ribes  oxyacanthoides,  40. 
Ribes  prostratum,  44. 
Ribes  rotundifolium,  42. 
Ribes  rubrum,  45. 


Ribes  rubrum,  Var.  subglandulo- 

sum,  45. 

Rosa  blanda,  57. 
Rosa  canina,  61. 
Rosa  Carolina,  58. 
Rosa  humilis,  59. 
Rosa  nitida,  61. 
Rosa  rubiginosa,  62. 
Rubus  Allegheniensis,  192. 
Rubus  Americanus,  50. 
Rubus  argutus,  192. 
Rubus  Canadensis,  185,  193. 
Rubus  chainsemorus,  47. 
Rubus  cuneifolius,  188. 
Rubus  hispidus,  187. 
Rubus  neglectus,  50. 
Rubus  nigrobaccus,  189. 
Rubus  occidentalis,  183. 
Rubus  odoratus,  45. 
Rubus  strigosus,  49. 
Rubus  triflorus,  50. 
Rubus  villosus,  185,  189. 

Sambucus  Canadensis,  236. 
Sambucus  pubens,  133. 
Sambucus  racemosa,  133. 
Sassafras  officinale,  258. 
Sassafras  sassafras,  258. 
Shepherdia  Canadensis,  106. 
Smilacina  racemosa,  11. 
Sinilacina  stellata,  156. 
Smilacina  trifolia,  13. 
Smilax  Bona-nox,  171. 
Smilax  glauca,  167. 
Smilax  herbacea,  163. 
Smilax  hispida,  169. 
Smilax  Pseudo-China,  170. 
Smilax  rotundifolia,  168. 
Smilax  tamnifolia,  167. 


310 


INDEX   TO  LATIN  NAMES 


Smilax  Walter!,  25. 
Solanum  Carolinense,  298. 
Solarium  Dulcamara,  125. 
Solanum  nigrum,  234. 
Sorbus  Americana,  64. 
Sorbus  sambucifolia,  66. 
Streptopus  amplexifolius,  16. 
Streptopus  roseus,  18. 
Symphoricarpos  pauciflorus,  324. 
Symphoricarpos  racemosus,  323. 
Symphoricarpos      Symphoricar- 
pos, 142. 
Symphoricarpos  vulgaris,  142. 

Taxus  Canadensis,  3. 
Taxus  minor,  3. 
Trillium  cermmm,  23. 
Trillium  erectum,  21. 
Trillium  erythrocarpum,  24. 
Trillium  grandiflorum,  20. 
Trillium  nivale,  19. 
Trillium  sessile,  19. 
Trillium  undulatum,  24. 
Triosteum  perfoliatum,  141. 

Unifolium  Canadense,  14. 

Vaccinium  atrococcum,  232. 
Vaccinium  csespitosum,  272. 
Vaccinium  Canadense,  278. 


Vaccinium  corymbosum,  272. 
Vaccinium  macrocarpon,  119. 
Vaccinium  nigrum,  231. 
Vaccinium  Oxycoccus,  119. 
Vaccinium  Pennsylvanicum,  277. 
Vaccinium  stamineum,  292. 
Vaccinium  uliginosum,  271. 
Vaccinium  vacillans,  278. 
Vaccinium  Vitis-Idaea,  118. 
Vagnera  racemosa,  11. 
Vagnera  stellata,  156. 
Vagnera  trifolia,  13. 
Viburnum  acerifolium,  237. 
Viburnum  alnifolium,  135. 
Viburnum  cassinoides,  240. 
Viburnum  clentatum,  279. 
Viburnum  lantanoides,  135. 
Viburnum  Lentago,  244. 
Viburnum  molle,  282. 
Viburnum  nuduui,  243. 
Viburnum  Opulus,  139. 
Viburnum  pauciflorum,  140. 
Viburnum  prunifolium,  246. 
Viburnum  pubescens,  239. 
Vitis  sestivalis,  210. 
Vitis  bicolor,  211. 
Vitis  cordifolia,  214. 
Vitis  Labrusca,  208. 
Vitis  riparia,  212. 
Vitis  vulpina,  212. 


A  Woman's  Hardy  Garden 

By   HELENA   RUTHERFURD   ELY 

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SUN-DIALS  AND  ROSES  OF 
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